Voltron ABO StartersDrabbles
by Glasz Wingsz
Summary: A collection of Voltron Omegaverse drabbles. Multiple pairings, both platonic and romantic. Some chapters are dark and include rape/non-con.
1. An Alpha's Right To Claim

**As an Alpha, I have the right to claim you, the Omega, and you know that, don't you?**

Chapter summary: Allura takes an unwilling Keith during his heat. T/W: Rape.

* * *

"Why have you not presented yourself to me?"

The heat must have cooked his brain; he can't actually be hearing those words and they can't actually mean what he really, dearly hopes they don't mean.

One look at the disgruntled Alpha standing over him tells him they probably actually do.

What else could an Alpha want with an Omega in the midst of a heat and they're asking him to "present".

He can't manage a response other than to blink blearily in Allura's direction and she's apparently not in either a patient or forgiving mood.

"As an Alpha, I have the right to claim you - an Omega. You know that, don't you?" she says it almost snidely, Keith thinks, and it's honestly the most disgusting things he's heard out of her mouth, and that's including her very obvious racism towards the Galra.

"Well, don't just lay there and gawk," she snaps when he fails to respond again (though he thinks that shouldn't be such a suprise; he IS in the middle of his first unsuppressed heat since being transported into space and now an agitated Alpha has invaded his nest). "On Altea, an Omega approaching heat would present themselves to their Alpha to be bred.

He wants to say something about how they're not on Altea (Altea's gone) and how he's from Earth and things are a bit (alot) different there, but he loses all train of rational thought when Allura steps over the boundary of his nest and lays her hands on him.

"I can only assume - as neither of them are present - that Lance and Hunk are not interested in claiming you as their Omega and so it falls to me to do so. It's very unproper for an Omega to be unclaimed..."

There's a very small part of his brain (the part that wasn't cooked) that is registering her words, but the rest of him is absolutely. freaking. out. There. Is an Alpha. In his nest. Grabbing him and pulling him. Touching him. It's not safe here. It's not safe. He needs to get out. Right now. He needs to get out right now. Now. Not safe. Not safe. Help.

He's whining and crying and hiccuping and she just keeps talking over him, reprimanding him for lack of appropriate (Altean) Omegan behaviour and telling him that crying won't help him and that he should "just take it like a good little breeding bitch" and he doesn't like this version of Allura (not that he is the biggest fan of any other versions of Allura).

He struggles, trying to get her off, but she's positioned him on his knees and she has his arms twisted behind him and all her weight (more than his) is on top of him and he can feel her cock sliding between his cheeks and he tries to buck her off, but he hasn't got enough strength, most of it robbed from him by the heat.

Lance and Hunk and Shiro and Pidge aren't going to come help him; they'd made sure he was comfortable and supplied with enough food and water to last for a week, then they'd left him alone like he wanted to be left alone. He'd managed his heats alone before (when Shiro was "dead") and he wasn't on supressants now, so he couldn't risk getting pregnant by sharing his heat with an Alpha.

Not that Allura seemed to care. Her cock was sliding between his folds and he was tearing, he could feel it, and screaming and sobbing didn't seem to faze her either. She just continued, not giving Keith any reprieve as she bottomed out inside him and started thrusting. She was not gentle. She seemed only to chase her pleasure, grunting obscenely as she used his body. Keith wondered if this was how it was for all Altean Omegas, back when Altea was alive. What a horrible place.

To be kept and used for an Alpha's pleasure. As only a piece of flesh with several holes for an Alpha to fuck. To be fucked and knotted and bred against your will. Repeatedly. Whenever an Alpha wanted.

What an indescribably horrible place ancient Altea must have been. And now Keith was getting to experience it.

Allura must be getting close to her climax. Her thrusts were becoming uncoordinated, rougher and faster. She leant more of her weight onto Keith, and he was forced further into the bedding, his chest and face pressed down into his messy nest of clothing and pillows. He could feel her knot bumping against him and then she was clawing at his waist, pulling him back towards her and spreading his legs obscenely wider and shoving her own hips forward to force the bulbous gland inside of Keith's too-tight vagina. Keith screamed and his entire body clenched, trying to force out the intruding organ. It was too big. He was already torn. He was tearing, He could feel. Too big. Too big. Too much. Stop. Stop. Help. Please help.

But it was too late. The knot was in. Emitting a drawn-out howl, Allura released her seed inside of Keith. She thrust throughout her orgasm, short, viciously fast thrusts that jolted Keith forward with every one. He could feel the Alpha's seed burning hot against his insides as Allura continued thrusting and pumping load after load into him.

It seemed to take a forever amount of time before Allura stopped her thrusting. The Alpha collapsed all of her weight onto Keith and the tiny, Asian Omega was squished underneath her. He could only lay there as they both waited for the knot to deflate. Depite (or maybe because of) how much hurt and distress as he was in, and even though he hadn't found his own release, Keith found himself falling into a daze. Allura started to hump, her knot still inflated and snug inside Keith. Her movements were minute, but with the way she dwarfed him, it rocked him enough to keep him from actually sleeping.

"Quiznak, you feel amazing. Squeezing my knot so tight. You took me so well, Omega. Breeding you was a rewarding experience and I am eager to do so again and again. To ensure you are with pup by the end of this heat. As is proper, I will never leave you empty again, Omega. There will always be a pup in your belly. And you will birth them all. And they will grow. And as they grow, the Alphas will have you. So that they can learn to fuck and knot. And I will have any Omega pups, so that they can learn to take a knot. All as is appropriate and proper. With you as my breeding bitch, the line of Altea will be reborn".

What a disgusting speech, but she seemed to believe it. He wanted to call for someone to help him, but his voice was gone, no more than a raspy whisper. And the others wouldn't come to check on him, thinking him safe and secluded. There was no way he wouldn't be pregnant after this. Just like Allura said, this was his fate now.


	2. Fever Heat

**Your're feverish, so stop being stubborn and go lay in the nest**

Some platonic pack polydins + Allura and Coran in this one.

Chapter summary: Keith's heat is coming on, but he refuses to look after himself.

"Keith". Allura is growling at him, not impressed by the Omega's actions. Keith just hunches further over the datapad in his lap, trying to ignore the intimidating prescence of the Queen Alpha. He doesn't want to stop working just yet, determined to last another few vargas at least.

"Kitten, I'd just do what she says," Lance wheedles from his own chair across the table. "You know she's only going to get bossier".

Keith wants to growl at the Cuban Alpha for his use of the petname, but he's too tired and all that comes out of his throat is a raspy grumble.

Allura is hovering closer, he can sense her, and then she's reaching out a hand to lay against his cheek. It feels heavenly; cool and refreshing against his heated skin. He tries to withstand the urge to lean into it, but he's not 100% sure if he suceeds in resisting.

"You're feverish, so stop being stubborn and go lay in the nest," Allura's tone is authoritative and leaves no room for argument. Her arms are crossed over her chest, hip canted to the side and Keith's pretty sure she's tapping her foot. He wants so badly to just do what she says, to do what she says and please his Alphas, but he's so close to finishing the strategic planning the Blade wanted his input for.

He tries to turn his attention back onto the datapad, but the letters are all blurred. He looks up, confused, and both Lance and Allura are in front of him, but they're wavering in and out of focus. Unsteady, he reaches a hand out to Lance; he can hear a needy whine escape his throat.

Next thing he knows, he's being scooped up into someone's arms. Lance's, his mind foggily supplies as he buries his head into the taller male's chest and inhales his musky scent. Lance is carrying him somewhere. He's not holding his datapad anymore. Allura is nearby, he can hear her talking, though he can't make out what she's saying. She must be talking to Lance; Keith can feel the Alpha's chest rumble when he speaks.

Lance is putting him down and he's surrounded by softness and warmth and a dozen comforting smells. A larger body curls around him from behind, wrapping him up in their limbs. Pidge - it must be Pidge - curls up around his head, cushioning it on her torso and combing her fingers through his hair. He's already so hot, he should feel overcrowded and overheated like this, but he can already feel himself calming down. His body is recognising his pack and the safety that they themselves and their shared nest offers.

Bleary, he reaches out and drags various items of clothing closer and clutches them weakly to his chest so he can smell all of his pack close, and he snuggles closer to the body behind him and weekly croons to Pidge and then falls into a healing slumber.


	3. Really, Really Strong (Good) Scent

Everyone in their pack has a different scent. A scent uniquely them, that marks them as them.

Hunk smells like fresh-out-the-oven cookies, but it isn't strong, because he's a Beta. But it's nice and reminds Lance of his childhood.

Pidge smells like wire cable plastic and metal, which is strange, but also just so her. There might be a bit of a foresty undertone there, but it's subtle.

Allura is flowery, and Coran is kinda like rain. Shiro's scent is the most subtle of all, barely even there, which is strange for an Omega; you have to get really close to smell it - and that might have something to do with his time spent as a Galra prisoner - but he smells like honey and fresh cream and frothy milk. A walking dairy wet dream.

Lance has been told he smells like the ocean. Like the salty tide on a warm beach breeze.

Everyone has a different scent that is unique to them and marks them as themselves, just as much as their appearance and dynamics and behaviours do.

Keith's scent is so distinctive and so strong that it's impossible to mistake him for anyone else. Keith smells like fire and a gentle nighttime breeze carrying promises of adventure and new things. Because he's Omega, there is a sweet underlying scent of marshmallows cooking over a camp fire.

Shiro's scent is barely there and Keith's scent is always there, so strong it should be overpowering. But Keith's favourite thing to do is scent Shiro, rubbing himself into the older Omega's glands. So a lot of the time Shiro smells like honey on toast and microwaved-warm milk, a unique combination of his and Keith's scents.

Honestly, by now, they probably all smell a bit like each other, all the scents overlapping. There's nothing better than pack puppy piles during stolen in-between moments. In which they all get their doses of cuddling and nuzzling and scenting.

Even now, Lance hugs Shiro to him, both of them spread out on the couch. Lance is laid out along its' length, leaning against one arm, with Shiro sprawled in between his legs and draped across the Cuban Alpha's chest. Lance leans his head forward to nibble at Shiro's exposed neck, stimulating the glands there and releasing more of his sweet, subtle Omega scent. He leans further down to rub his own neck against Shiro's, rubbing their glands together and mixing their scents. When he turns his head to take a whiff of Shiro's neck, the Omega smells like a picnic on the beach, the salty tang slightly more overpowering. Lance's chest rumbles as he croons, his inner Alpha proud that his Omega smells like him, and Shiro purrs quietly from where he is dozing against Lance.

Lance smells Keith before he sees or hears him. The door to the lounging area they are occupying slides open and the smell of burning branches and smores grows triply stronger. Shiro hums, recognising Keith even in his sleep, but he doesn't move. Keith enters the room and makes a beeline for Lance and Shiro. The Korean teen doesn't say anything, just seats himself on the ground beside the couch and leans back into it so his head is near Lance's outstretched leg. Keith does this sometimes; doesn't talk, doesn't ask for things with his words, but Lance recognises when he is asking using his body instead. Maybe it's the Alpha instincts, wanting to take care of his Omega in need, or maybe it's just that they've all been stuck up in space together for 2 years now and they're finally getting to know each other.

The lanky Alpha reaches a hand down to tangle in Keith's hair and he scritches. Immediately, Keith melts into the touch, body going near limp and head falling back to rest on the couch cushion. Keith's purring is louder than Shiro's and his whole body seems to vibrate. Lance continues his ministrations, leaning further back into the chair, enjoying the calming prescence of both his Omegas.

"I gotta say, you have a really, really strong scent, even for any Omega".

He says it softly, calmly, not looking to antagonise, just curious. Thankfully, Keith seems to recognise that. Or is simply too comfortable with Lance's ministrations to bother riling himself up. He does huff quietly and turn his face up into Lance's hand, nuzzling his nose into it, like a cat looking for scritches.

"Is that a bad thing?" the Omega questions, the slightest, slightest hint of uncertainty evident in his tone; he doesn't stop nuzzling Lance's hand.

"No, no, it's not. It's good. It's just you, the way you are. So it's fine," he reassures, voice gentle, trailing his hand around to the back of Keith's head and further down to his slender neck.

Keith chirps as Lance uses his thumb and pointer finger to rub at the glands on either side of the Korean Omega's neck. Keith absolutely melts into the touch, tilting his head forward and down to expose as much of his neck as he can. His scent grows stronger, completely engulfing the room. Lance eventually drifts off to the sound of purring Omegas and the scent of campfire embers drifting on a nighttime breeze bringing promises of a brand new and exciting tomorrow.


	4. Better to be a Beta

"I'd kill to be a beta right now" Keith mumbled as he curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his torso.

He couldn't decide whether it felt better to lay flat and stretch out or to crunch himself up into an Omega pretzel. Either way, the cramps still attacked him and he felt like someone was stabbing a very jagged, rusty blade into his gut, over and over.

Hunk crooned to him from where he was laid out behind Keith, careful not to get too close because Keith couldn't stand the extra heat radiating from the large Alpha's body. He settled for rubbing a gentle hand up and down Keith's back. Lance was sitting near Keith's head, idly playing with the black locks. Keith was too sensitive and sore and hot to want to be touched right now and they were lucky he was allowing them this much and that he hadn't chased them out of the room.

Keith was in pre-heat. And his body was running amok. He was so hot he bordered on feverish. And his skin was clammy. He was constantly trying to stretch his limbs out because his entire body ached, but he also just wanted to curl up and hug himself because the cramps were getting pretty unbearable.

Lance didn't envy him. If this is what Omegas had to go through every heat, he was glad he wasn't one. He ran his fingers through Keith's hair a little rougher, making sure to scratch his scalp just like the Omega liked. Only Keith growled and shook his head once before hunching his shoulders and ducking his head away from Lance's hand.

The Omega had stripped himself of all his clothes except his boxer briefs, and he'd only kept those on because he didn't want to leak slick everywhere. Eventually, when his heat really set in, the briefs wouldn't be able to stop much of it.

With another huffing growl, Keith launched himself up from the half-made nest, which was really nothing more than a few blankets and articles of clothing on the floor of Keith's bedroom. He came to rest on his haunches and he just stayed there, head down and panting, body trembling. He looked awful, and Lance felt so bad for him. He wished he could help his Omega, but there wasn't much either he or Hunk or anyone could do until Keith's body calmed down enough to accept them.

The rest of the pack was waiting patiently, not wanting to intrude on Keith's nest until he was ready for them. Lance and Hunk had been allowed in, Keith had decided after nearly an hour of suffering alone, hoping their Alpha pheromones would push his body into proper heat and then he could just fuck it all out of his system. They'd been laying with him for nearly another hour and his body did not seemed inclined to hurry up at all.

Keith whimpered, a high-pitched Omega sound, drawn out and tapered off into a desperate little huff of a cry at the end. He hunched over, head almost to the floor and arms coming around to wrap protectively around his torso. He continued whimpering, breathy little noises that tore at Lance's heart. His instincts screamed at him to help his Omega, and he knew Hunk's were doing the same if the way the big guy's hands clenching at the empty space in the nest were any indication. Lance really hoped this pre-heat would be over with soon, but realistically he knew that pre-heats could last up to a few days.

Granted, he'd never seen a heat this bad. Most Omegas starting their heat spent the days leading up to it hoarding food and gathering items for their nest. Most weren't debilitated by their body's symptoms. Sure, there was the occasional bout of cramping and the jitteriness caused by aching limbs, but Keith's body seemed to have gone into overdrive. Shiro's pre-heat was never this bad.

Lance looked back at his Omega, at a loss how to fix this; he couldn't even touch Keith without making it worse. Poor little thing.

Still crying those helpless little cries, Keith suddenly lunged towards Lance. All graceless limbs and burning heat, he crashed into Lance, knocking the Alpha onto his back. Lance's arms automatically came up to cradle the Omega and Keith wasted no time snuggling into the other teen, nuzzling his face into Lance's throat, under his jaw, repeatedly, almost as if trying to dig himself in deeper there. One arm gripped Lance's shoulder with a feverish intensity, but the other reached out blindly in Hunk's direction.

"Alpha…" Keith whined, sounding desperate and needy and in pain all at once.

Hunk seemed to understand and crawled over to the other two. Lance managed to roll onto his side while still holding onto Keith and once the Omega had righted his position, head still securely tucked into Lance's neck, Hunk laid himself out along the Asian teen's back. The bigger Alpha wrapped an arm around Keith's waist and pulled him back so that Keith's ass was flush with Hunk's crotch. He rolled his hips forward a few times, enjoying the feel of that tight, little ass against his clothed cock, but Keith whined and tried to roll away.

"Alpha," Keith panted. "Just...hold me".

So Lance and Hunk did, wrapping the little Omega up in their arms and legs, trapping him between them. He was still near-fever hot and he trembled and huffed out little cries still. He occasionally tried to stretch himself out of their hold, but Lance and Hunk stayed, holding him through the worst of it.


	5. To Knot or Not

Keith wriggled, trying to budge his arm just a little bit. The feeling of being trapped was unpleasant, but it satisfied his inner Omega so it was a necessary evil. He'd gone into heat the day before and only a day in, he already knew it was going to be a strong one. He'd asked Hunk to spend it with him, knowing he would drive himself crazy if he tried to weather it alone.

He'd made it very clear to the Alpha though, that they wouldn't be fucking. Hunk had agreed. Neither of them wanted to risk pregnancy and Keith didn't like being knotted anyway. He'd picked Hunk over Lance because he didn't trust Lance to not be obnoxious about the whole thing and he maybe, a little, didn't trust Lance completely not to take advantage of him when he was most vulnerable. Plus Lance couldn't 'engulf' him like Hunk could.

The Yellow Paladin's body type was perfect for snuggling. His larger, longer limbs wrapped around Keith and kept him in place with ridiculous ease, and his bulk kept Keith pinned down; Keith couldn't escape, even if he wanted to. Also, Hunk was like some sort of super heater; the warmth radiating from him made Keith melt into delicious, submissive limpness.

Keith laid on his front on the floor of his bedroom, cushioned by various items of clothing stolen from the other Paladins and a number of blankets and pillows. As per Keith's request, Hunk had laid himself on top of the Omega, not completely; he didn't want to suffocate the little Korean, but enough that Keith was firmly pressed into the floor. The Alpha had wrapped an arm and a leg around the tiny Omega, effectively trapping him.

Keith huffed out a half-breath; it was all he could manage with the Alpha pressing down on him. He'd asked Hunk to lay with him, on him, to help him through his heat. Having the large Alpha lay nearly all of his weight on top of him seemed to trick his Omega instincts into behaving. It didn't help as much as being knotted would have, but it was close enough to being dominated (in a somewhat weird platonic way) that the need caused by the heat was lessened.

Only...

"Hunk, I thought we agreed I don't want you to knot me," he quietly growled; quietly, because he couldn't get enough breath to raise his voice.

"Sorry, buddy, it's just you feel so good," Hunk cajoled, as he continued to hump Keith.

"Hunk, no, just, just stop it".

This was not part of the agreement.

He picked Hunk coz he thought he trust the Alpha. Apparently, there wasn't an Alpha around that could control themselves around an Omega in heat. Hunk's arm and leg tightened around him as the larger teen continued to grind his crotch into Keith's ass. At least, he was careful not to put any extra weight onto Keith.

"You're not knotting me and you're not fucking me, ok. So, just...finish it up and then stop. Alright?".

Exasperated, Keith settled himself as well as he could, ready to lay in that position for as long as it took Hunk to come. Well, at least this had his inner Omega absolutely preening and it's not like he could get out from under the Alpha anyway.


	6. Tell of a Smell

Shiro wasn't ashamed to be an Omega. He was proud of all he had accomplished; not just for himself, but for Omegas around the world. He was renowned as a pilot and a space explorer. Both things he'd attained on his own merit, despite the whole world trying to tell him he couldn't do it, couldn't be this or couldn't be that. An Omega. In a space exploration program? Or a military school? Unheard of. Never done before.

Shiro was the first. There was no way the Garrison could overlook his scores and natural aptitude just because of his dynamic. Had they expected him to last? Probably not. But he'd proved them wrong. Every single last one of them. And the world. He'd proved that an Omega could do anything an Alpha could do. Sometimes even better.

He'd made plenty of enemies for it. But he'd also made a precedent of himself. An example for other Omegas to follow. So yeah, he was proud to be an Omega and to prove himself as an Omega.

That didn't mean he wanted to flaunt that fact around to everybody in this corner of the galaxy. But Shiro guess you don't always get what you want, right?

"I can smell it! You're in heat!" Lance accused as he burst through the dining hall doors to point a finger dramatically at Shiro.

Shiro, whose face immediately flushed red and eyes widened at the accusation. Well, if anybody in the Castleship somehow didn't know that he was an Omega before now..

It was his first heat since they'd all arrived to the Castleship, and while he knew it was coming and inevitable, he hadn't realised it was already upon him. Sure, he'd been feeling a little under-the-weather the past few days, but he hadn't thought his scent would spike so suddenly; he hadn't even smelt it himself and Keith hadn't said anything about it to him.

Lance was still pointing at him, pose held theatrically and apparently waiting for a response. Honestly, Shiro really didn't want to be talking about his heat in front of the entire team.

"Uhhm... well, I guess... It's supposed to be happening around this time".

"You guess? You guess!? Why are you acting like this isn't a big deal?" Lance exclaimed (Shiro wasn't sure why it would be a big deal; so what? He was an Omega. Big whoop dee do).

"Uhhh..". Yes. Very eloquent, Shirogane. Good work.

"You're kidding me. (No, Lance, Shiro was very much not. kidding you. right now) You can't just waltz in here - or anywhere through the castle - when you smell like that!" Lance emphasised his point by thrusting both hands in Shiro's direction.

"Oh, um, I smell?" Shiro hesitantly asked, honestly not sure how Lance expected him to respond.

"You stink!".

"But not in a bad way," Hunk interrupted, smiling carefully at Shiro.

"You stink like syrup and apple pie and too many sweet things and lust and I really want to fuck you right now!".

Shiro will forever deny the squeak (there's really no other word for it, but he's still denying it even happened) that came out of his throat. He clapped a hand over his mouth. He could feel his face getting hotter and he could hear Keith choking on his food in the background and Hunk thumping the younger Omega on the back. Shakily, he rose from his seat.

"I, I need to go. I should go".

"Damn right, you need to go," Lance snarked. "Coz if you stay here any longer smelling like that, I'll probably just fuck you on the table.

"But seriously," the Cuban boy leaned in closer to Shiro (but not that close, the Omega noted), his tone turning gentle. "You should go ride this out in your room. We'll send Keith with food and water and to make sure you're okay. I just... can't handle you smelling like that. Sorry, man".

"It's okay," Shiro reassured the Alpha. "I didn't realise I smelled that, strongly".

"Ok, well, go get some rest, or whatever you Omegas do, during heat".

Taking the dismissal as it was, Shiro waved a hand at the rest of the team, then retreated from the dining hall, face burning even hotter. What a nightmare. Well, he was still proud to be an Omega. Now everybody definitely knew what he was. They also now definitely knew his heat schedule, thank you very much, Lance.


	7. My Baby's having my babies

He'd told Lance to pull out, that he didn't want him coming inside him, didn't want to be knotted. But he supposes this isn't too bad. It's not horrible, laying here in the soft, calm aftermath, being cradled to the Alpha's chest as they wait for the knot to go down.  
It's nice enough. The knot feels good; he likes the feeling of being plugged up and full of his Alpha's come. As much as the logical side of him doesn't want to be knotted and bred, the emotional side - the Omega part - loves it and preens at the feeling of being full.

Lance stretches his body out, nudging his cock further inside Matt. The Omega gasps, his vagina walls insanely sensitive after being driven to orgasm three times in the last half hour. Lance shushes him, reaching a hand up to brush unruly hair out of his Omega's face and leaning over slightly to press a soft kiss to Matt's cheek. The same hand then trails down the Omega's body til it rests on the slight swell of his stomach, swollen from the amount of come being pressed inside him by the Alpha's cock.

"I can't wait to see your belly swell with our perfect babies," the Alpha croons, low and sweet, in his ear.

Logical Matt would be scared by those words, turned off. He's never wanted pups, never wanted to have any of his own. And now he's fighting an intergalactic war. He's a dirty guerilla fighter. He doesn't have the time or luxury to get pregnant.  
But Logical Matt isn't in control at the moment. Omega Matt is. And Omega Matt absolutely preens at those words. He snuggles in closer to his Alpha, purring. The thought of pups makes him so happy. And he has an insane urge to clench down on his Alpha's knot, make sure it stays in him as long as he can keep it there, long enough to let the Alpha's seed work.

But it's alright, because Lance's knot doesn't seem to be going down any time soon. The Alpha pulls his Omega in impossibly close, so close he's almost laying on top of the tiny rebel. With both arms wrapped protectively around Matt's torso, the Alpha starts rocking his hips back and forth, gently humping the man underneath him. Matt's walls are sensitive as hell, but his inner Omega is too busy preening and purring to care about the leg-jolting pain.

"You really... really think.." Matt whispers curiously.

"Babe, by the time I'm done with you tonight, there's no way you won't be pregnant," Lance hums as he continues rocking. "I'm gonna fill you up with so much come, you're gonna look pregnant just coz your belly's gonna be that round with come. You're getting bred good and proper tonight, Omega".

Lance's words are thrilling and terrifying. He's not ready for this, not ready for pups and pregnancy and commitment, but oh, does he want this. He lets the Alpha's soft crooning and gentle rocking soothe him, and he settles into a sleepy daze.


	8. I Don't Want An Omega

"I really think we should get Keith or Shiro in here," Hunk pleads, watching as Lance writhes on the bed, tangling the sheets under and around his body.

It's a good thing the Cuban teen is an Alpha and not an Omega prone to nesting; the bed is a mess in a room that looks like a metaphorical bomb went off in it. No self-respecting Omega would ever allow this sort of clutter and disorganisation.

The problem is, they could really use an Omega right about now. Lance is in rut; Hunk has no idea what set him off. But the Cuban Alpha is almost completely overtaken by it, his body going into sexual overdrive and desperate for something to fuck. He's a mess, all sweat and desperate, achy energy thrumming through tense muscles and heaving pants.

The problem is, as much as they need an Omega right now, Lance is refusing. Hunk knows both Keith and Shiro would be willing to help if they knew the situation. Both of the Omegas are on birth control, so there's no worry of accidental pregnancy. Sure, they'd definitely be in for a bit of rough fucking, but he's never known either to shy away from that.

"I don't... want an Omega," Lance huffs out, breaths uneven and shaky, but he's eyeing Hunk with at least a tiny bit of clarity in his blue gaze, so Hunk knows he's not completely gone.

"I don't wanna... use them... like that".

"Lance, I get it, I really do, but I think they would totally understand and be okay with it. ..I mean, it's not like we haven't all fucked before. And we do the same for them when they're in heat!".

No! Hunk, I really don't want an Omega".

Lance is losing his temper, a sure sign that he's loosing his little bit of leftover sense to the rut. It won't be long before he's just a raging, sexual mess.

"Ok, ok, no Omega," Hunk concedes because he doesn't want to stress Lance out any more than he already is.

"...Hunk". Lance's voice is soft and tentative, a complete 180 from his tone a moment ago.

"Hey, buddy, it's ok, I'm not gonna get the Omegas... but I'll stay here with you, alright?"

He's offering because he knows how terrible ruts can get. He knows he can't be much help, isn't what Lance needs during this time, but Lance doesn't want an Omega, and he'll be damned if he leaves his best friend to deal with all of this alone. There's things he can do for the other Alpha. He can't give him a hole to fuck, but hey, there's nothing wrong with a friendly handjob. At the least, he can be a presence for Lance to focus on.


	9. You're my Omega, and mine alone

"Omega.. need Omega..," the Alpha pants desperately as he crowds Keith against the wall.

Keith can't help, but feel trapped when his back comes into contact with the training room wall and Lance's arms come up to bracket his head on either side. He could probably duck away, but there's a manic intent in Lance's eyes that warns him against any sudden movement. He thinks Lance might have fallen into a rut, but he doesn't know how deep in it he is and maybe he can talk him down. He doesn't want to hurt the other boy.

Keith flinches as said boy leans over him, roughly shoving his face into the crook of Keith's neck and inhaling loudly. The Alpha nuzzles at the sensitive scent gland there and then scrapes his teeth along the skin, making Keith's knees buckle. The Alpha growls and moves to grab Keith's head and hold him firmly in place as he continues scenting the smaller teen, ignorant of the hushed whimper that escapes the tiny Omega's lips at the rough treatment.

"...you.. are mine, only mine...I need you".

"Lance," Keith tries to keep his voice steady, tries not to let his fear and uncertainty taint it. "You're in rut. Do you know what you're saying?"

"I need you, need Omega".

"We can't, Lance. You're... you're in rut, you'll get me pregnant and I can't," Keith tries to reason with the Alpha, but he's starting to realise that Lance might be too far gone.

He needs to get out of here, away from Lance. Lance is too deep in his rut to recognise words and actions; Keith's not even sure he recognises him, or if the other teen's just reacting to his Omega pheromones.

He feels one of Lance's hands clawing at the collar of his shirt, pulling it away from his body and giving the Alpha better access to his neck. Keith doesn't trust the Alpha not to bite him and claim him when he's like this. He needs to get out. He shoves at the other boy's chest, managing to push him back a few feet. He's leaping towards the exit almost as immediately as he's free of the Alpha's arms.

But then he feels a hand curling around his ankle and clamping down in a vice grip. He's yanked back and he falls gracelessly to the hard, cold floor, unforgiving fingers still wrapped around his slender ankle. They squeeze and he can't stop himself from letting out a panicked trill - a purely Omega noise - as he feels the delicate bones there twinge under the pressure. Then there's hot breath on the back of his neck and weight on his back, pressing him down.

"My Omega, mine".

"Lance, stop," Keith almost sobs, the reality of the situation crashing down in him in a sudden, horrifying clarity; he's going to be raped. He's going to be raped by Lance - someone he's come to consider a friend, who he's come to trust, and is pack with; this will break apart the pack dynamic, will surely create tensions, this can't be happening - he's going to get pregnant, he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to - can't - look after a baby.

Lance is using his weight to keep him down, and it doesn't matter that Keith's arms are free; he can't twist them around enough to grab anything. He can't buck Lance off from this position; he's too small and barely half of Lance's weight. Lance is clawing at Keith's clothes, at his pants. Ripping them down to his thighs.

Keith trills again, as loud as he can, hoping, praying that his pack is nearby and can hear him. Will come to save him. There are tears sliding down his cheeks and his breath is hitching in his throat.

When Lance pushes into him, it feels like all of the breath in Keith's lungs is punched out of him. It hurts. It feels like he's been torn in two. Lance didn't prep him, too lost in the rut, too desperate to fuck something. The knot is worse, and Keith wants to scream and thrash and try to pull himself off, but it hurts worse when he moves and he's too afraid even the movement of breathing will hurt him, so he's silent and still and lets Lance hump into him til his knot deflates.

Lance leans down and nuzzles at his ear, whispering into it, "You're my Omega, and mine only" before he brushes Keith's hair away from his neck and with no other warning, bites into the gland there. Keith screams and thrashes now, though it's too late and he really is Lance's now. As Keith succumbs to unconsciousness, he thinks he hears Lance's voice - the real Lance's voice, soft and confused and timid..

"..Keith?"


	10. Don't You Want Me?

"I don't understand..." Shiro almost whispers, uncertain and timid in a way that he rarely allows anyone to see.

Lance counts himself lucky to be one of the few that Shiro lets his guard down too, but Shiro's words confuse him.

"What's not to understand? I thought we could just have a bit of relax time since there's nothing else planned for right now," Lance explains, watching as the Omega remains standing awkwardly by the door.

Lance himself is sprawled out on his bed, arms extended to encourage the Omega to lay down with him. He's hoping they can cuddle for a couple of hours. He's noticed Shiro has seemed stressed lately, more prone to snapping, and always looking haggard and with dark shadows underneath his eyes. Their poor, overworked leader deserves some downtime. And Lance is determined to make sure he takes some.

"I see... but, why am I here?" Shiro asks, still tentative and unsure.

"What... because I want you here with me.."

'Oh. He wants sex,' Shiro realises.

Shiro reaches up to pull off his top, and then starts to undo his belt. He doesn't really have the energy to make it into a show for Lance, just wanting to get naked and get done and then maybe Lance will let him fall asleep with him.

"You don't have to take your clothes off, y'know," Lance huffs good-naturedly. "Unless you want to, I guess".

"But how will you...?"

Now Shiro is truly confused. How is Lance going to fuck him if he's still wearing his pants. Unless.. maybe Lance just wants his mouth?

"How will I what? Shiro, you're not making any sense".

"No, you're not making sense!" Shiro almost whines, letting the stress and tiredness overwhelm him. "Why can't you just... put me where you want me and fuck me!"

"The hell? ...Shiro?"

"Just hurry up and get it over with, so I can get some sleep".

Silence reigns in the room for several moments, broken only by Shiro's soft panting. Shiro doesn't look up from the ground, so exhausted after his outburst that he thinks he could fall asleep standing right there. There's a rustle of clothing on sheets, and then a pair of lanky arms wrap around him and he's pulled into Lance's chest. He just wants to fall asleep here, held in Lance's arms, warm and safe.

"That's not what I want from you," Lance hushes him, but his words just confuse Shiro more.

"If you don't want me, why did you bring me here?" Shiro whispers into Lance's chest, all of his insecurities and self-doubt obvious in his weak tone.

"Why would you think that? I just want you, Shiro. I just want to cuddle with you and fall asleep with you in my arms. You need to rest. This relationship, our pack, it's not only about sex".

Lance uses a couple of fingers to tilt Shiro's chin so the Omega is looking at his face as he speaks. Lance sees the moment realisation dawns in Shiro's stormcloud grey eyes, watches the way the Omega blushes and glances away to the side in embarrassment. Listens patiently as he tries to explain..

"I'm sorry, Lance, it's just... it's all I've ever known, really. I mean, not with this pack. Just it was half of the reason the Garrison picked me for the Kerberos mission was because I was an Omega and Commander Holt might have needed to relieve himself and it's not like he could use Matt so...".

Shiro is rambling by the end because it's not something he's proud of; and he's not proud to have basically just accused Lance of wanting to use him for sex. He's still really fucking tired and he could so easily close his eyes and lean into Lance and fall asleep right now. Lance shushes him with a gentle finger to his lips. Shiro mouths at the tip of it languidly, subconsciously, letting himself relax. Lance doesn't smell angry or upset. Just calm. Calming.

"Shhh, don't apologise, baby, never apologise for the way you were treated before. Just know that this pack, that I'll never treat you like that or expect anything from you that you don't want to give. Now go to sleep, you need it, and we'll cuddle some more when you wake up, okay?"

It's all the nudging Shiro needs and he finds himself drifting off into the warm, soft embrace of his Alpha.


	11. Do You See Me At All?

Keith whines as his body is rocked violently by the force of Lance's thrusts. He's on on his knees, braced on his forearms, mounted from behind as the Alpha rams his cock repeatedly into Keith's vagina. Lance's arms are wrapped around Keith's torso, holding him in place as he takes his pleasure from Keith's body, brutally hard, deep and fast like Keith usually likes.

Keith whines again. He's still tender from the previous two rounds not even an hour ago. Lance had fallen into a rut and Keith had offered to help him through it. He's helped Lance with his ruts before and vice versa with Keith's heats. Lance has never been this exceptionally brutal - borderline violent - before, though. The Alpha is desperately chasing his climaxes, one after the other. Keith can't keep up, has been brought to orgasm so many times that he's dry down there expect for Lance's cum leaking out of him only to be pushed back inside by the Alpha's cock. The overstimulation is absolutely killing him and he's desperately wishing that the Alpha's next orgasm will be enough to break Lance's rut.

Impossibly, Lance starts thrusting harder, driving Keith forward with each thrust until Keith has to brace an arm against the bed's headrest to avoid knocking his own head against it. The Alpha's thrusts are losing their rhythm, and he's just pistoning uncontrollably into Keith now, uncaring or ignorant to the near-constant whimpering escaping the tiny Omega's mouth to match the Alpha's huffing growls and grunts.

Keith can't orgasm any more - he physically just can't after the last hour of non-stop sex and multiple too-many-to-count climaxes. He winces at the twinge of pain when he feels Lance's knot tug at his rim and balloon inside him, trapping them together, but he's also relieved because it means Lance will have to be still for at least the next ten minutes. Lance comes with a howl and a rush of hot liquid into Keith, filling the Omega with even more cum so that his stomach bulges a little bit.

Keith is so exhausted that he doesn't even complain when the Alpha collapses on top of him, still connected to him by the knot. He lets the weight of the taller boy press him into the soft mattress beneath him and tries to enjoy the warm stillness while it lasts and before Lance works up the energy for the next round. He really regrets coming here now. Lance isn't usually this inconsiderate during sex, but his rut must be really hitting him hard this time round. But Keith's already committed to helping his Alpha through it, and it's not like the rut-headed Alpha would let him leave at this stage anyway.

It's been a few minutes of blessed stillness and he's on the verge of dozing off when he feels the Alpha's mouth on the back of his neck. He barely has time to flinch before the acute pain of the other's teeth clamping down over his scent gland takes over him. The Alpha's jaws clamp down, almost like he's trying to hold the Omega underneath him in place.

"Ow, ow, Lance! Stop," he whimpers, struggling to get the Alpha off of him.

Lance doesn't seem phased by his pitiful attempts to get free and simply bites down harder, causing Keith to cry out and lie still. He feels the Alpha's rumbling purr at his obedience. He stays still even when he feels the Alpha start thrusting against him. He can't get very far, his knot still stuck inside Keith, but he can hump his hips well enough that his engorged cock rubs harshly back and forth against Keith's over-sensitive inner walls.

"Lance, stop, ow, that hurts, it hurts, Lance," he hisses, tears welling in the corners of his eyes as his Alpha ignores him and continues to use his body.

"Omega," the Alpha huffs out, word muffled because he's still biting Keith, holding him in place with his teeth.

'He doesn't see me. ..I'm just a couple of holes to fuck right now'.

'I don't want this anymore. I don't want this'.


	12. I Don't Want An Alpha

Keith's cheeks were flushed and it was spreading slowly down his neck and across his chest. It was a beautiful look on him, Shiro decided. Mussed hair, pink cheeks, a visible sheen of sweat, and that absolutely debauched look in his heavy-lidded eyes. A delectable little morsel laid out beneath him. All his for the taking.

Shiro lowered himself down until he rested on the smaller Omega, careful not to put his full weight on him. Keith's legs spread to either side of him and then came up to wrap around his waist, trapping them together. He was already eagerly rolling his hips up into Shiro's, desperate for any sort of stimulation. Shiro tried to match his motions, trying to help satisfy his mate as much as he could.

The heat had hit Keith hard, out of nowhere. There'd been no pre-heat symptoms to warn them. Lance and Allura had both offered to help Keith through it, but he declined and hid himself away in his bedroom. Shiro had gone to check on the Korean teen and Keith had near pounced on him, dragging the older Omega into the confines of his bedroom.

A hastily made nest had been constructed on his bed. The room already stank of Keith's heat pheromones, but it smelt delicious to Shiro, like bread baked over a woof fire and drizzled with honey. It hadn't taken long for clothing to be stripped and two naked bodies to collide together into the nest.

"Are you sure you don't want Lance or Allura to help?" Shiro asked, words muffled by Keith's neck where he was suckling and nibbling at it. "I just meant, they're a little more qualified to handle this sort of thing".

At first, he didn't think Keith had heard his question, so consumed was the little Omega in Shiro's ministrations. He moaned like a porn star, Shiro thought. Those sounds were enough on their own to make Shiro tingle all over and he swore he was leaking slick. He rolled his own hips harder into Keith's and brought his human hand down to rub at Keith's clit. Keith bucked into his hand and whine, a noise that was pure filth.

"Ah...no...I don't want...an Alpha," Keith panted, chest heaving with the effort of speaking. "I want you".

Well.

"Even though I can't knot you?"

Just one final check. Just to be sure. Not that he didn't really want to be here. Like this. With Keith. His mate.

"I want...you," Keith insisted, thrusting his hips up almost violently and reaching up to grab the back of Shiro's neck, as if to hold him in place so he couldn't leave.

"Kay, okay, baby, I got you, let's get you through this".


	13. Keith is Keith and gets into trouble

When the knock at the door came, Allura was definitely not expecting it. I mean, she didn't even know the Castleship had a door that could be knocked on. More than that, when she finally located the door and opened it, she was not expecting to see Keith somehow managing to look contrite and unrepentant at the same time, flanked by a pair of space mall security guards.  
She had just opened her mouth to ask what the quiznak was going on when Keith interrupted her.

"I got into some trouble. I kinda punched an Alpha in the face when he touched me. Long story short, these officers would like to talk to you about getting control of your Omega".

He has the brazenness to grin cheekily up at her when he finishes speaking. The guards don't seem to find any of this funny and one of them tightens his grip on Keith's bony shoulder. Keith visibly winces at the pressure and the grin slides of his face.

Allura allows herself a moment to take in the situation. She thinks she has never been so glad for her diplomatic negotiation training lessons as she is now.

"Ma'am, is this your Omega?" one of the guards asks gruffly.

She hesitates only briefly, knowing Keith isn't going to like what she has to say, but also knowing that she needs to "play the game" - as the paladins explained it to her - if she wants to keep the Omega out of further trouble. Keith isn't **her** Omega per say, but he does belong to their pack and the guards are obviously looking for the person in charge of him.

"Unfortunately, yes, he is," she remarks, careful to look disapproving.

"Are you aware of his behaviour?".

"I understand he has struck someone.."

"An Alpha. He struck an Alpha-

"He touched me first!" Keith interrupts, quick to try to defend himself.

Apparently, willfulness and free-thinking in Omegas is not encouraged in this part of the galaxy. One of the guards silences the Omega by grabbing the back of Keith's neck violently, his large, clawed hand wrapping nearly around his whole neck. The action is enough to startle Keith and he yelps loudly as the guard roughly shakes him once. His knees buckle and his entire body goes limp, an instinctive reaction caused by the over-sensitive Omega nerves located in the nape of his neck.

Allura can't stop the enraged growl that escapes her mouth at the sight of two strange Alphas manhandling her Omega, who is not even half their height or a third their weight. All of her instincts are telling her to lunge at these stranger Alphas, to tear their hands from their bodies for daring to touch her Keith. She needs to make sure he's okay, that he's safe. He's hers.  
Somehow, she manages to maintain a shred of rationality within her. She restrains herself, body trembling with her repressed rage and possessiveness. She glowers at the guards, her voice gruff as she addresses them carefully.

"I understand that Keith has committed a huge.. offense, but if you gentlemen wouldn't mind, I would prefer to discipline my Omega by my own hand. That being so, I insist you hand him over".

She makes sure to maintain eye contact with the one whose hand is holding Keith's head down. She doesn't glance away or even blink. She keeps her head raised, proud and challenging.

Neither of the guards rise to the challenge; they can sense that she is stronger as an Alpha than either of them. They release Keith and roughly push him in Allura direction. She doesn't reach out to steady him, hating that she is forced to play out the facade. Keith stumbles, but manages to stay on his feet. He hunches into her side, partly behind her, seemingly trying to hide. She wants to take him into her arms and soothe him, nuzzle his face and neck, stroke his soft hair, whisper sweet words to him.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I can assure you, gentleman, that he will be well disciplined," she assures the aliens still standing in the doorway. "Now, if that will be all..."

They hesitate, seeming to want to say more, but she glares at them and they scramble to formulate a polite goodbye instead and leave.

After they're gone, Allura turns to Keith, hugging him tightly to her, burying her nose into his hair and breathing in deeply, inhaling his unique Omega scent. It does wonders to calm her down. She can feel her inner Alpha already settling, just having the Omega in her arms.

"Are you okay, my Omega?" she softly questions. "You're not hurt? What happened?"

Keith rouses himself in her hold, but he doesn't try to escape. He nuzzles his head under her jaw, rubbing her scent onto himself.

"Some stupid rut-head Alpha grabbed me and I just reacted..".

"Keith, it's okay. I'm not blaming you at all," she tries to comfort him. "I just want to make sure he didn't hurt you. Or the guards. I'm sorry I couldn't stop them before they did that to you".

"S'okay, I know you had to be like that," he mumbled into her chest. "...thanks for getting me out of trouble..".

"You don't have to thank me for that," she reassures him. "Now let's see if we can't hail the others to return to the Castle so we can leave".


	14. Suppressants

Keith never enjoyed his heats. They were usually always difficult, borderline painful. They were messy and inconvenient and never as glamorous as the media tried to portray. His heats were never regular, and a lot of times, they were dry. He hates his heats and honestly wishes he didn't have them. It's not like he's planning on getting pregnant. Ever. He's never going to share his heat with an Alpha. Never going to risk getting pregnant. So what is the point of his heat if he wasn't planning on breeding? He didn't see any reason why he should have to suffer through heats.

So if he isn't planning on breeding and therefore, ever getting pregnant, he doesn't see why he can't just cancel his heats. Suppressants are a gift from the gods as far as Keith is concerned. He knows a lot of Alphas don't agree with the use of them and that they'll argue that they're concerned with the Omega's welfare. But Keith's pretty sure Alphas just don't like Omegas having any sort of control, especially if it's over their own bodies. There are even countries on Earth where Omegas aren't legally able to purchase suppressants without permission from their Alphas. Thankfully, Keith didn't grow up in those sorts of countries. And thankfully, none of the Alphas in his current (and only) pack are the type to try to control him.

So at their next stop at the space mall, he wanders off from everyone else when they're distracted. He manages to find what looks like the intergalactic equivalent of a chemist and he has to stumble his way through a very confusing and much-too-personal conversation with the retail alien to get them to understand what he needs, but at the end of it all, he walks out of the mall with a Earth year's supply of space suppressants and a discreetly proud smirk on his face.

He starts taking the pills straight away. The effects don't take place immediately, but after a week, he swears he feels a difference. He feels less moody and less bloated and lighter and stronger and all these things he didn't really think suppressants would affect. It's like the suppressants have shut off everything inside him that makes him Omega and his body is just free. He wishes he'd had access to these sooner; how many horrible, painful heats could he have avoided with just the pop of a pill.

The real test comes a few months in. While his heats aren't regular, he can usually still expect one every two months. He's never hit the three month mark and not had a heat. It's been four months now since his last heat. Keith's elated. The suppressants work. No more heats. No more pointless suffering.

He honestly didn't expect the team to notice he wasn't having heats anymore. He didn't think anyone paid that much attention to his cycle. But when you're the only Omega on the entire Castleship, he guesses he should expect a little more attention to be paid to him.

He definitely didn't expect Lance to corner him at the dining table during breakfast, the Alpha slamming his hands down to either side of Keith and leaning forward into Keith's personal space. He wasn't expecting it so much that he drops his spoon into his space goo cereal in surprise. When he looks up into Lance's face, the Alpha is full-out glowering at him, corner of his lip twitching with a barely contained growl.

"Lance!" Shiro barks sharply. "What's going on?"

"What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. Mullet head here hasn't had a heat in over four months. That's what's going on!"

"That's none of your business!" Keith growls, trying to will the blush spreading across his cheeks and neck to disappear.

"Lance, that's highly inappropriate," Shiro berates, sounding exasperated. "And Keith's right, it's no one's business, but his own".

"We're all a pack, Shiro! That means it's our business when one of us is hiding something from us. Especially something that's dangerous for his health!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about these," Lance sneers and he throws something down on the table and the dozens of tiny, round medicine pills inside clatter around in an unmistakably recognisable sound.

Silence reigns for a moment. Keith knows what's on the table. Knows Lance would have had to have gone snooping in his room to find them. He can feel the tension in the air as each of the table's occupants realises what Lance found.

"Are those suppressant pills?"

The question comes from Pidge, and Keith finds his gaze drawn to her. He can't read her expression properly, but her tone and neutral face makes him feel like she's judging him, and that makes him angry. How dare she? At only 14, Pidge has only just presented but even she's an Alpha. An Alpha just like Shiro and Lance and Allura and Hunk. Coran's a Beta. But none of them are an Omega. And how dare they judge him when they have **no idea** what it's like to be an Omega.

He's angry. He's fucking furious. He shouldn't have to defend himself to these people. To his pack.

"Keith?" Shiro's voice is quiet, tentative.

"Yes. They're suppressants". He doesn't owe them an explanation.

"Then why the quiznak are you taking them?!" Lance growls, leaning further into Keith's space, as if he's trying to intimidate him.

"Because I want to".

"Because you want to," Lance mocks in snide tone. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to your body with those things!? They're bad for-

"Well, it's my body so I can do whatever I want to it!"

"Keith," Allura interrupts all of them with her calm, melodic voice. "If what Lance says is true and these pills are bad for you, then why are you taking them?"

"They're not bad for me," Keith huffs, refusing to look any of them in the eye. "That's just something rut-head Alphas make up so we won't take them 'coz if I take 'em and don't have heats anymore, that's one less Omega for you to breed.. **isn't it Lance**?"

He looks the Alpha dead in the eye as he finishes speaking, daring him to disagree.

"Keith, that's not even-

"No! No! I'm not yours to control. I can take whatever I want to take and do whatever I want to my body and none of you get to say no!"

"Keith, calm down," Shiro encourages him, holding both hands out in a placating gesture. "Nobody's going to make you do anything you don't want," and at this, the Japanese man looks meaningfully at Lance, "but I do think you should seriously consider whether these pills are good for your health or not".

"None of you have ever gone through a heat. You guys have no idea what it's like, so none of you get a say on what I do about my heats-

"That's not fair! We're your pack, of course we should get a say. Your health concerns all of us".

"It has nothing to do with my health! I just won't go through heats anymore," Keith is on the verge of tears, feeling so cornered and outnumbered and just very much over this entire conversation. "Not that it matters, 'coz I was never gonna share a heat with any of you!"

"It's not about your damn heat-

"Just leave me alone! All of you!"

He doesn't hear what they say after that. All he hears is white noise and the distant, rapid padding of his own feet against the floor as he retreats from the room. He doesn't stop until he reaches his own bedroom and he makes sure to lock the door behind him. As soon as he does, he collapses to the floor, back against the wall, knees pulled to his chest. He's not sure how long he sits there for, curled into himself and tears silently slipping down his cheeks.

Eventually, a persistent knocking noise makes itself known. He doesn't know how long the noise has been happening for. Along with the knocking, there's a soft voice speaking, on the other side of the door.

"Keith? Are you alright? Can I come in?"

Coran. It's Coran.

"I just want to check on you, my boy. I promise none of the others are with me".

He seems to know just what to say, and his voice is soothing and caring, lulling Keith into a sense of calmness. He uncurls himself from the floor and turns to press the doorpad, releasing the lock. The door slides open and Coran is standing there - true to his word - alone. He takes only one glance at Keith and steps quickly and quietly into the room.

"Oh, my boy," he croons, stepping forward to gently wrap his arms around Keith.

Keith finds himself leaning into the hug, all, but melting into the comfort of it. He's not sure how long he stays like that, wallowing in the warmth and calm and safety of Coran's embrace. Time's become a bit of a blur to him since the confrontation. One of Coran's hands comes up to stroke through Keith's hair, gently detangling any knots it comes across.

"Are you alright, number four?"

"...I don't know, Coran..

"They want to.. they want me to stop taking the pills. But I need them," he whines at the thought of having to go through more heats.

"It's okay, it's okay, shhhh. ..I'm not here to tell you what to do. You were right, I think - you would know your body best and it should be up to you what you do. Might I make a suggestion, though?"

Keith can't help flinching, but Coran's been so supportive and comforting, he doesn't interrupt.

"Would you be okay with undergoing a scan in one of the cryopods? Just to make sure the pills aren't having any adverse side effects?"

He thinks about it. Part of him wants to say no, but he's calm enough to recognise that that's just his pride. He's sure the machine won't find anything wrong with him. He's also sure Coran hasn't told the team anything about this and that it's entirely between them. Coran won't betray him to the team. He'll let Keith make his own decision. Maybe it's the Beta in Coran that's causing this, because he knows what it feels like to be the only one of your kind onboard a ship full of Alphas.

He thinks about it, but in the end, he places his hand in Coran's and lets the old Beta lead the way.


	15. Why Are You Resisting Your Nature?

"Keith, you really should go lay down," Hunk pleads, anxiously twiddling his fingers. "You're gonna collapse at this rate".

"I don't need to lay down" comes the adamant, completely expected (if Hunk's being honest) reply from said Omega.

"At least stop training. You're pushing yourself too hard".

"I'm pushing myself just enough. It's fine, Hunk, stop fretting".

"I can't. The fretting thing is kinda my job. You know, like when your Omega is being really stubborn and doing dangerous things and you wanna protect them as their Alpha, but they won't listen to you, so you can only fret until they collapse from heat exhaustion because they refuse to accept that your heat is happening to you, right now, Keith!"

"I accept it," Keith huffs ever so calmly as he narrowly avoids being skewered by the training room gladiator's spear. "It's fine, I've got it under control".

"Uhh, I really don't think you do," Hunk snidely remarks under his breath, but Keith must hear because the Omega shoots him a quick glare from under his eyebrows before he's forced to break eye contact and dance away from the oncoming gladiator.

"Keith, you're sweating so much I could stand under and take a shower from how much sweat is dripping off you. You're already fatigued, out of breath, you can't stop shaking, you've almost been stabbed like, 12 times. And you stink! Like, really deep in heat stink. You need to go lay down!"

Keith doesn't even deign to answer him; the smaller teen doesn't even look at him, just keeps dodging away, out of the way of the metal spear that's most likely about to skewer him because the damn idiot refuses to listen to either his body or Hunk.

Hunk leaves him be for a few more minutes, watching intently for any sign that Keith is going to slip up too badly and he'll need to step in. It doesn't take long; Keith's back leg buckles and gives out on him when he goes to transfer his weight to it to leap out of the way. With a quiet, intaking gasp, Keith crumples down to the ground.

"Keith! Stop, stop! End training sequence, end training sequence," Hunk cries out as he rushes forward. "Damn it, Keith".

"Stop fussing! Don't touch me," Keith hisses, probably trying to be intimidating, but he's shaking too much and panting too hard to be anything other than pitiful.

"Why are you resisting your nature like this? Why can't you just accept that you need help?"

"I'm not resisting anything," Keith growls, heaving himself to his knees with what looks like extreme effort. "I'm not weak enough that this will stop me".

"Wha.. nobody is gonna think you're weak for taking time off for your heat, Keith. It's a natural thing. You can't help it".

Keith is apparently not listening to a word he's saying; he's too busy forcing himself to stand, wobbling dangerously. Before the fool Omega can fall again and actually hurt himself, Hunk steps in, offering an arm to steady him. Keith doesn't take it. Unperturbed, Hunk leans down and sweeps an arm behind Keith's knees and wraps his other arm around the stubborn Omega's shoulders. Keith releases a short yelp as he's swept into the air, instinctively grabbing at Hunk's shirt.

"Hunk! Put me down".

"No can do, little buddy," he quips, walking towards the exit with his precious bundle tucked securely into his chest. "You're done here for today".

Keith growls the Alpha's name, emphasising his dissatisfaction by thumping his fist against Hunk's broad chest, but it's weak, his body sapped of all its' strength and Hunk doesn't even falter. Keith is forced to remain in Hunk's arms as the Alpha carries him through the Castleship hallways. He doesn't look at the Alpha, instead choosing to glare down at his own abdomen, as if it is to blame for his current predicament (which it kind of is, he jadedly thinks to himself). Hunk can both hear and feel him growling under his breath the entire trip.

When they finally reach Keith's room, Hunk carefully slips a hand free to press at the doorpad. The doors open automatically and Hunk carries his Omega inside the room. Only once the doors have slid shut behind them, does he release Keith, carefully depositing him onto the bed. Keith lets himself be put down and as soon as he feels the mattress underneath him, he turns his back to Hunk and his glare to the wall. He doesn't say anything. Hunk takes a moment to glance around at the barren room, frowning at the lack of soft things, or, well, any things.  
Keith's room is empty. The only items in it are the neatly made bed and the Omega's signature red jacket hanging on a hook on the wall. There's no extra blankets, no extra clothes, or towels, or soft toys, or anything an Omega might use to make a nest with.

"Keith," Hunk sighs, quickly coming to a decision, turning back to look at the Omega on the bed.

Keith's still trembling a little, and that fact only makes Hunk more determined. He doesn't think Keith is weak for having to go through his heat. He believes what he told Keith. It's a natural process, one that's not meant to be easy or wholly pleasant. He doesn't think Keith's weak for taking a bit of time to recuperate. He's never told the Omega, but Keith's the strongest person he knows.

"Keith," he tries again. "I've gotta duck outta here, grab a few things. But I need you to be here where I get back, okay?"

Keith doesn't answer. Hunk waits patiently. Keith is still trembling, his body exhausted and he's probably only making it worse by forcing himself to be all standoffish and stubborn. Why won't he just let himself switch off for just a bit?  
But then, he does. It starts at the top of Keith's head and waterfalls down to the bottom of his toes. His body seems to just collapse on itself. His muscles visibly relax, and his limbs go limp. Softly, slowly, Keith slumps down till he's lying curled up on his side, still facing away from Hunk. The Omega still doesn't talk. He's not trembling as badly now, probably because he isn't forcing his overworked body to be stiff and upright anymore.

Hunk deems this to be as much of an answer as he's going to get. He's not sure Keith has the energy to escape from his room, even if he wanted to. Even if he could, he wouldn't be able to get very far. Hunk's only going to be gone a few minutes, just enough time to get to his own room and grab a few extra blankets and shirts of his own, some things for Keith to maybe make a nest with, if he feels up to it. He silently exits the room, feeling satisfied that Keith will still be there when he gets back.

Keith hums to himself as he hears the door slide shut. The room is blessedly quiet and without the presence of another in the room, he feels himself properly relaxing. All of the built-up tension seems to seep out of his body. He knows Hunk will be back in probably a few minutes times, but until then, the room is his. Maybe the Alpha was right. Maybe he didn't need to deny his nature all the time. This was nice. The quiet, the stillness, the soft bed underneath him, lulling him to sleep. He was just gathering his strength, for the heat that was still coming. That's all. He wasn't stopping. Just preparing, he thought as he drifted into a healing slumber.


	16. Desperate

"End training sequence".

Shiro's strong voice rings out, resounding in the sudden stillness of the training deck. The gladiator immediately shuts down, its' limbs falling slack and an opening in the deck's flooring activating just underneath the robot. It disappears into the hole, silently, and the only sound after that is Keith's own harsh breathing.

He can hear himself panting, his body desperately trying to draw in much needed air. He can feel sweat rolling down the side of his face, see out of the corner of his eye Shiro raise a hand towards him, open his mouth to say something else.

"Save it, Shiro," he hisses, viciously swinging his body around to glare at the other male. "There's nothing you have to say that I want to hear".

The open surprise on Shiro's face is only slightly satisfying. Keith turns away with a growl - one that he hopes says 'stay away' and a warning that he hopes the other man takes - and stalks out of the training hall. There's no point in trying to continue training. Shiro will just shut down any programs he starts again and again. Eventually, he'll just have Pidge program the system to deny Keith access.  
It's better to walk away. Come back another day. When he can manage to give Shiro the slip.

The Alpha's been unbearable lately. Keith knows why. And he hates it. Hates the Alpha for it. Blames him. Blames himself too. This is his own fault for being born an Omega. Now he's pregnant and paying the price. Shiro knows he's carrying. Knows that the pups are his. It's not like Keith has ever had sex with anyone else. Ever. Shiro knows this. And whether it's because of his protective Alpha instincts going into overdrive in the presence of his expectant mate or just his own personal morals, he hasn't left Keith alone for more than a half hour since they found out about Keith's condition.

If it was up to Keith, he would have aborted the alien things growing inside of him as soon as he could manage it. The Castleship cryopods are amazingly technologically advanced and can manage pretty much every Earth medical procedure and more. But Shiro was there when Keith found out he was pregnant, and refused to even allow Keith to consider the idea of abortion.

For the last few months, Keith has been steadfastly ignoring his condition and Shiro. He refuses to change his routine, refuses to do anything differently to what he normally would do, refuses not to fight, or train. Refuses to talk to Shiro other than the bare minimum. Refuses to listen to him especially. Shiro somehow got to Coran, convinced him not to help Keith abort the babies. And it's not like he leaves Keith alone long enough that Keith can attempt it on his own.

Keith can hear his mate's footsteps following him as he storms into the kitchen. Shiro's silent as Keith retrieves a glass, fills it with water from the Altean version of a tap, gulps it down and then slams the empty glass down on the counter. He honestly wasn't expecting it to break. The glass shatters in his grip; thankfully, his glove protects his hand.

He falters, not expecting that to happen, but expecting Shiro to definitely say something now. When silence only follows, he relaxes slightly. He still doesn't look at Shiro, refusing to acknowledge the other man. Instead, he looks at the glass. Shattered into jagged, glittering pieces. Stares at it. He thinks he stares at the pieces so long he falls into that daze. The one where you stare at something and you know you're staring, but you can't pull your gaze away and it's peaceful because there are no consequential thoughts in his head, just..

There's a stinging pain in his hand and he looks at it to see a dribble of blood escaping a thin slice across his unprotected fingertips. He's holding a shard of the glass in his right hand, gripping it tight. He looks closely at the glass shard and in that moment, he knows what he wants, what he's going to do. He feels his arm moving, seemingly of its' own accord..  
But before he can, Shiro is there, Galra arm holding his right wrist in a bruising grip and human arm - still insanely strong - wrapped tight around Keith's throat, holding the smaller male flush to his larger body.

"Keith! Stop! What are you doing!?"

Keith jolts back to reality. Shiro's Galra hand is hot, almost burning, on his skin. It's smeared with red where Keith's blood has run down from his fingers. Keith's still holding the glass shard, it's still biting into his fingers. He needs it.. he needs it to bite into something else. His stomach. He needs to, needs to hurt himself. Hurt them. He doesn't want them. The twin things growing inside of him. Doesn't want the womb they're growing inside of. Doesn't want to be an Omega and doesn't want anything that makes him an Omega. Omegas never get a choice. Omegas never have power or choice or freedom.

He struggles against Shiro's hold, viciously trying to yank his arm free while pulling at the limb wrapped around his neck. He growls savagely, trying to warn Shiro off, but the Alpha isn't phased. The Black Paladin only tightens his hold, the arm wrapped around Keith's throat tightening and bearing more of Shiro's superior weight onto the smaller male. Keith doesn't stop fighting. Shiro's never going to leave him alone after this. If he fails here, he's not going to get another chance. He throws his entire body weight away from Shiro, trying to swing himself out of the neckhold. The weight of Shiro's body behind him doesn't budge; he doesn't have enough strength to make up for their size difference.

"Let GO, let go of me, just.. STOP, stop it, let me, let me.."

He's crying now. Crying and panting and struggling and fighting and Shiro still doesn't budge. Still holds him in place, Keith's back held firmly to the Alpha's front. He's forced onto the tips of his toes as Shiro further tightens his hold and pulls Keith's body further back and up. Keith chokes on his next breath.

"Put the glass down," Shiro's deep voice rumbles through Keith's body; the Alpha sounds surprisingly calm, not even a hint of a tremor in his voice. "You are pregnant with my kids and I'm not going to let you self-destruct because you can't cope with your dynamic or nature or whatever your problem is".

He doesn't release Keith or loosen his grip as he speaks. He speaks and then is silent, waiting. He waits and Keith waits for more, for something, anything. Keith's not sure how long they stay like that, still and silent, except for Keith's sobbing which turns to sniffling and then only the occasional hiccup. He's not sure how long it is till he consciously unfurls his fingers and lets the shard clatter to the floor. He's not sure how much longer they still stay like that, Shiro holding Keith flush to him, the Omega balanced on his toes and arm outstretched, fingers delicately spread apart, fresh blood dripping from his cuts onto the porcelain floor.

Eventually, Shiro lets Keith go. The Omega stumbles as he's released, and he clasps his wounded hand to him protectively. He doesn't want to look at Shiro; he can feel the disgust and judgement in his gaze. He doesn't look as Shiro calmly cleans up the glass. He doesn't look at Shiro as the Alpha approaches him, though he can hear his footsteps and feel his proximity, and it makes him tense up. He flinches when Shiro speaks.

"I know this isn't what you want, Keith, but it's what you were made for. It's natural. You will have these babies, and you won't try to hurt either them or yourself anymore. I'll make sure of that. Understand? We'll get through this together, Keith".

It's probably supposed to be reassuring. Or uplifting, or something. It's not. But Keith doesn't look at Shiro as he numbly nods his head, knowing that his one chance to stop this is gone and he won't be getting another one.


	17. My Marks All Over Your Neck

Keith glares at his reflection in the mirror. He fiddles anxiously with the collar of his jacket, tugging at it in a vain attempt to hide the evidence of last night's activities. It's no good. While his jacket's collar is definitely high enough to cover a good portion of his neck and block a lot of it from view from the sides and back, the marks he's trying to hide extend all the way to his collarbone and a few even venture up to his jawline. Unless he wears his jacket zipped all the way up - a decidedly ludicrous and obvious look - there is no way he can hide all of this.

Just as he's contemplating making a dash to Pidge's room to check if she has any sort of space make up - probably a futile effort, he realises - he's interrupted by a pair of tanned, lanky arms sliding around his midriff. He's tugged back into a warm, solid chest. He looks up into the mirror to be met with sleepy, blue eyes, but even though he's obviously only just woken up, Lance still manages to look smug, arrogance just rolling off of him in waves and making Keith want to swing around and knock him flat on his conceited ass. He restrains himself.

"The hell am I s'posed to do about this?" he almost growls, gesturing emphatically at his own neck.

Lance yawns and then rests his chin on Keith's bony shoulder, having to cock his hip and lean over to actually achieve the position. One of his hands travels teasingly up Keith's torso til it rests just over Keith's exposed collarbone, tickling the sensitive skin underneath. Keith watches in the mirror as the hand slowly wraps around the base of his throat, ever so gentle.

"They're beautiful, you're beautiful," Lance murmurs, voice husky.

"I look like I got mauled by a vampire," Keith deadpans, not impressed.

"Look at your neck. Look at the marks I left".

"It's impossible not to look at them".

The hand tenderly petting his throat suddenly grips it hard, nails digging into already bruised skin. Keith audibly gasps as Lance's other hand finds its' way to his hair, clutching it tight and forcing his head back.

"You are mine," Lance growls possessively into his neck, nosing down Keith's collar so his lips are hot against Keith's skin. "And solely mine".

"..Alpha," Keith whimpers, feeling himself fading into the beginnings of subspace.

"Everyone who looks at you will know you belong to me".


	18. Aftercare

Keith's too tired to move. He knows he should, should get up and clean himself up before any of the various fluids he's covered in dry and harden. It'll be a bitch to clean up once it's dry. He knows this. But for some reason, he's still laying in bed, loosely curled up on his side and swathed in fluffy blankets and sheets, and not looking likely to move any time soon.

But then, if anyone else had just gone like three, maybe four (his brain's still a little foggy, ok?) rounds of sex in the last hour, he reckons they wouldn't be too fast to get up either. He carefully stretches out and twists his torso, feeling the satisfying crack of air in between his joints. He settles again, letting out a heavy, satisfied sigh. He can feel himself drifting off. He'll clean up later.

Warms hands on his bare side register in his sleep-hazed mind, but they're not cold enough to startle him or encourage him to move. They rub soothingly down his side and travel down to his waist and then to his thigh. There, they slip teasingly in between his legs and he can feel the fingertips flutter there, playing in the still-wet mess left there. He should probably feel embarrassed, but it's just another thing he's too tired to care about.

"C'mon, babe," Lance's warm voice coos. "We should get you cleaned up".

Keith mumbles something in reply - even he's not sure what he says, maybe some form of complaint? - and he nuzzles his face deeper into the cocoon of blankets, snuffling quietly. He knows Lance thinks he's adorable and irresistibly cute; he's described him as a kitten numerous times. It's even become one of his disgusting nicknames for him. Maybe if he lays here long enough, and looks cute enough, Lance will let him be.

"You're gonna hate it if you don't get clean now," Lance prods, and damn, Keith knows he's right, but movement just seems. really hard right now.

He grumbles into the sheets, really not wanting to comply, but he still turns his head in Lance's direction and blearily opens his eyes to look at the Alpha.

Lance is beautiful in the aftermath of sex. Well, Keith means, Lance is beautiful all of the time. But sex lends him a softness to his features that is rarely present any other time. The Alpha is crouched down beside the bed, but he's tall enough that he still manages to loom over Keith. His hands, still on Keith, but having retreated back to the little Omega's side, resume their rubbing when their owner sees Keith is awake.

"Hey, there you are, how you feeling?"

Lance smiles so gently at him, you'd think he hung the moon in the sky or something equally as noteworthy. Must have been some good sex. Keith doesn't remember much of the explicit details; he'd been too caught up in his heat at that stage. One of Lance's hands comes up to ever-so-gently pet Keith's cheek. All he can think is he hopes that isn't the hand that was touching the drying slick leftover on Keith's thighs.

Obviously, Lance isn't too bothered by Keith's lack of reply, because he just chuckles and heaves himself to his feet, his soft, gentle hand falling away from Keith's face. Keith is brought face-to-face with Lance's erection, which is soft now, but still impressive. Well, more like face-to-knee, because Lance is tall. But still. He blushes and squeezes his eyes shut, quickly burrowing back into his blanket fort to hide his mortification.

"Oh, no, none of that, kitten," he hears Lance chuckle again. "Come, I'll give you a bath to wash the dry slick away".

Before his still hazy brain computer can properly process what Lance means, he feels strong arms sliding underneath him and then he's being lifted into the air, sheets and all. He startles a little, a surprised squeak escaping him and clutches at Lance's shoulders to steady himself. Lance chuckles again and Keith is getting a little tired of the other teen laughing at his expense. He butts his head into the Alpha's chest, grumbling.

Lance carries him into the adjoining bathroom and puts him down on the floor, which miffs tired, sleepy, spent Keith a little. He can hear water running and it isn't long before Lance's hands are back, carefully disentangling the Omega from the intricate cocoon of blankets he's wrapped himself in. Once freed, Keith is guided into the large tub, which is thankfully filled with comfortably warm water and bubbles. The water ripples and he feels Lance slide into the bath behind him, then he's guided to lean back into the Alpha's chest.

They don't talk much after that, and Keith half-dozes as Lance washes both of their bodies. He can feel Lance's hands, softly rubbing away the slick and come and sweat that covers most of Keith's skin. Those hands grasp his thighs and spread his legs, so long, tender fingers can carefully reach inside of him and scoop out what leftover seed and slick there is. It should feel awkward or uncomfortable, but Lance's gentle hands and soft, crooning voice and the warm water only send Keith into the oblivion of sweet dreams.


	19. Lance offers to cook Keith breakfast

When Keith wakes up, it's to the sight of Lance's sapphire-blue eyes watching him. In a fond way. Not a creepy way. He should clarify that. Definitely not a creepy way. He blinks up at his mate a few times, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes, and stretches as much as he can trapped in the Alpha's embrace. Lance seems content to let him properly wake up in his own time, silent as he watches Keith.

When Keith settles back down again, Lance pulls him more firmly against the Cuban man's chest and leans down to nuzzle at Keith's unruly bedhead hair.

"How are you feeling, love?" the Alpha whispers into Keith's hair, his breath stirring a few strands, which Keith clumsily tucks back behind his ear.

The question makes him think back to last night. The night Keith lost his virginity. It was Keith's first time. Ever. He'd thought Lance would make fun of him for being twenty and still a virgin, but the Cuban Alpha had been sweet and soft and understanding. He'd taken Keith slowly and tenderly. And then after he'd taken his painstaking time driving Keith to delicious, mind-blowing orgasm three times, he'd proceeded to pound the Omega into the mattress, powerful and possessive and unforgiving.

"A little sore," Keith whispers back, hoping the blush that's taking over his face isn't showing as much as it feels it is. "But good, in a good way".

"That's good. I'm glad I didn't hurt you," the Alpha sighs.

Silence settles again. After several moments, during which Keith contemplates falling back asleep, he feels the bed shift as Lance stirs. The Alpha raises himself up until he's on his hands and knees, positioned above Keith and looking down at him.

"What does my Omega want for breakfast?" Lance asks, leaning his face down so that his lips brush Keith's cheek as he speaks.

Keith doesn't think Lance can see the blush that is definitely taking over his face, not with his face so close to Keith's, but he can probably definitely feel the heat that is radiating off the Omega boy's cheeks.

He's never been called anyone's before.

"Kitten?"

"You - the Alpha - are cooking for me?" he coughs out, trying to cover his momentary heart failure.

"Of course," Lance affirms, raising back up to smile gently at the stunned Omega underneath him. "I'll have you know I'm somewhat of an accomplished chef. I did grow up with five younger siblings to help out with, y'know".

"And I'd never expect you to cook for me just because you're an Omega," he continues when Keith remains quiet. "Now, what would you like to eat?"

Keith didn't think he could fall more in love with this Alpha than he already is, what with having lived and worked and fought together in space for nearly three years. Maybe it's just that weird honeymoon period (that was a thing after sex, right?) that's talking, but Keith is in love with this Alpha, with being his, with being free with him.


	20. How To Keep An Alpha

"This is so not fair, you know that right?" Lance whines as he paces the the length of Keith's room.

The restless energy that fizzles through every inch of his body won't leave him alone, won't let him stop. He's got to move, got to do something. It won't be long before the energy turns into a proper rut. Just when he thought he was finishing up his rut.

But no. **Somebody** refused to let him rest. He glances over at the bed and he can feel his gut tighten at the sight of the Omega spread out languish atop the covers.

Keith is laid out on his side, one arm tucked underneath his own head to cushion it and the other tucked up to his thin chest. He looks like he's dozing, but his eyes are open in sleepy slits, watching Lance placidly. The sight of Keith's naked body is enough to make Lance's mouth water, but it's the pheromones the Omega is releasing that are stirring Lance's own body crazy.

They've been locked in Keith's room for the last day and a bit, Lance calculates, and Lance has spent the majority of that time worshiping Keith's body. Caressing it, playing it, bringing it to delicious orgasm after delicious orgasm. He's lost count of how many times he's driven Keith to climax over the last twenty-four hours. The Omega's thighs are caked with dried cum, not all of it his own. The Omega's heat pheromones had driven Lance into rut and it had taken only one sultry look from Keith for the Alpha to grab the smaller teen's arm, twist it behind his back and then proceed to frog march the Omega through the hallways to the rooms. Keith's room was closest and as soon as they reached it, Lance had manhandled the Omega inside and slammed him against the nearest wall. Keith was near hyperventilating by that stage, panting so desperately, and moaning so gloriously when Lance put his lips to his skin.

He'd taken his fill of the Omega's body. Marked him, fucked him, knotted him. Bred him. Bred him like the bitch in heat he was. He knew he'd gotten a bit rough. Knew, at one stage, he'd stopped seeing Keith as Keith and saw only a warm, wet hole for him to fuck. He'd been in the height of his rut then, driven there by the pheromones hanging heavy in the air that even the ventilation system couldn't get rid of entirely. But he knew Keith had egged him on, pleading so prettily for Lance to satisfy his own bodily needs.

"Do you even know what you do to me?" he whines again, noting the little upturn of Keith's lips and thinking, 'yes, of course you do, you little harlot'. "We really need to clean up. I gotta get you some food. And water".

Keith doesn't seem to register what he's saying, or he just chooses to ignore Lance - which is the more likely option. He doesn't answer Lance. He does move though, but about three seconds into the movement, Lance really wished he hadn't.

Keith is all grace as he rolls onto his stomach and then tucks his knees underneath him, effectively raising his pert, little ass into the air. He keeps his chest pressed into the mattress, arms raised above his head to grasp carelessly at the pillow. From where Lance is standing, he has a perfect view of the trickle of cum that dribbles casually out of Keith's pussy and trails down his creamy thigh. But then Keith cranes his neck to look at Lance and Lance is gone at the sight of those bitten-red lips parted and those seductive bedroom eyes.

He has never moved so fast as he does then. He's surprised he doesn't snap his neck, as fast as he twists himself around to face the door and not the wanton display on offer now behind him. He can't. He can't look at Keith right now. He has to do the right thing and go get them both something to eat and drink. And they could both really use a shower. He needs to be the responsible one right now.

But then he smells it. Sex. Well, the room already smelt like sex, considering that's all they'd been doing since they entered it over 24 hours ago. But this, this was fresh. This made his mouth water, his glands tingle, and what felt like all of his blood suddenly seemed to rush south and next thing he knew, Lancey Jr was standing up extremely proudly; so proudly, it almost hurt.

He sighs heavily, knowing he's defeated, and slowly turns back around to meet those temptress eyes.

"Why do I even bother when all you do is use your pheromones to push me into rut?"

He's been feeling it for a while, but he'd been hoping to ignore it and put it off so he could get out of here for a bit. But he guesses that isn't going to happen now, not with Keith actively releasing his pheromones in a bid to keep him here. He clambers back onto the bed, positioning himself behind the other teen, hands wasting no time to reach out and grab that teasing ass. He spreads it apart, his pulse beating hard in his throat at the sight of that pussy, already open and wet from being used, waiting for his cock. Well, who is he to deny it what it needs, he thinks as he sinks himself in to the hilt.


	21. Bonded, but not Married

"This is not a good idea".

"...".

"In fact, I can't think of a worse idea".

"...".

"We're going to die. They're not going to accept this".

"...".

"Shiro, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes".

"What did I just say?"

"That you don't think this is a good idea, you can't think of a worse one, and that my parents are not going to be able to accept us, so much so that they're probably going to kill both you and me".

"Not probably. Definitely. They're definitely going to kill us".

"C'mon Keith, they're not that bad.."

"We are bonded, but not married, and your parents are super old-fashioned. If they find out..." Keith trails off with a dark look, probably imagining some torturous demise that Shiro's parents definitely don't have prepared for them.

"They won't find out. You're panicking for no reason".

"I'm really not. They're going to know as soon as we walk in the door. We stink of each other. And what if they see my neck?"

Keith might have a point. They spend so much time with each other, managing to find each other in between their crammed schedules - breaking a few officer-cadet fraternization rules while doing so - sneaking into the other's dorm room to sleep at night, sneaking out of the Garrison at day for joyrides on Shiro's hoverbike. They smell so strongly of each other that it's become almost impossible to tell their scents apart.

Then there's Keith's neck. It's currently covered in a splotchy mass of hickeys and underneath all that, the deep, dark bruise of Shiro's bite, permanently scarring Keith's neck. It's a dark purple colour, almost black, like a tattoo. It marks Keith as his.

Shiro's parents are very traditional. They firmly believe in marriage before sex and bonding. Shiro hasn't even told them that he and Keith are dating. This will be the first time they meet Keith. They've heard about him, in Shiro's calls home, but they only know him as Shiro's friend.

He remembers the night he bonded with Keith, and he wonders suddenly if Keith regrets it, if maybe Keith would rather have waited to be married before being tied to Shiro.  
He doesn't have time to wonder much more because Keith's calling out to him from where he's wandered ahead on the path. Looking up at his mate, Shiro's gaze slides past him to the traditional Japanese house behind him. His parents' home.

Keith has wandered back to him, and the Omega reaches out to grasp Shiro's hand. He's wearing his jacket collar zipped up around his neck. It's not out of place, what with the cold weather here, but they both know the real reason it's wrapped so tightly around the Omega's neck.

"Ready?".

"Not really".

"Hey, what's the worst that could happen?" Shiro jokes, trying to soothe his worried mate.

"They could disown you. They could throw you out. Or me. They could just not accept me and throw me out and..".

"They won't, I promise," Shiro interrupts, squeezing the hand he is already holding. "This might be hard for them to accept, but they love me. And they're gonna love you too. We'll just take it slowly".

Keith breathes in once and exhales, and then looks at the man he's chosen to spend the rest of his life with. They're connected. They're in this together. He takes another breathe and releases it, trying to expel all of his anxiousness with it. Squeezing Shiro's hand and sending his Alpha a small smile, Keith leads them up to the quaint house. He doesn't let himself hesitate before knocking on the door. It's only once the sound of his knocks has died away, that the nervousness returns.

Shiro's mother is a small, but elegant woman. She barely comes up to her son's shoulder, but she's still just taller than Keith. That's enough to make Keith feel slightly intimidated, as well as her perfectly pinned hair and beautifully manicured nails and soft, delicate face. She's everything an Omega should be, and he finds himself raising a hand to his head to subtly try to brush out any tangles in his hair.  
She smiles delightedly at Shiro and hugs him, speaking in excited Japanese. The sound brings an Alpha to the entryway, and he must be Shiro's father, the resemblence damn near uncanny. It's easy to see where Shiro got his height and broad shoulders from.

What a perfect family. With their perfect, big, strong Alpha sire, their perfect, soft, delicate Omega dam, and their perfect just-as-big, just-as-strong Alpha son. Keith doesn't fit into this picture. He shouldn't be here. He's not good enough for Shiro. Shiro should find someone else. Another Omega. One who's beautiful, graceful, soft, and poised. All the things an Omega should be. Things Keith isn't.

Shiro's mother - Amako, Keith remembers belatedly - turns to him, noticing him finally. Keith sees her nostrils flare and knows she can smell him. Or more specifically, her son's scent on him. Her brows furrow just the slightest bit, but then her face relaxes and she smiles and speaks to him in Japanese. He doesn't know enough of the language yet to reply, but Shiro told him it was polite bow to people you just met. So he bows low, but he forgets what to do with his hands and one of them is still clenched in Shiro's grip, so it's definitely not as elegant as he was going for.

Shiro must explain to his parents Keith's lack of bilingual ability because they transition to near perfect English - despite their obvious accents - to invite them inside.

"Oh. Come, come. Let us talk inside. It's lovely to finally meet you, Keith," Shiro's mother gushes as she leads them inside.

The house is artfully decorated, obviously by Shiro's mother - and that's just another thing she's got Keith beat at. Keith has no artistic abilities to speak of, and he definitely couldn't provide Shiro a warm, welcoming home like this one.  
They're led into what seems to be a living room, with a low table surround by cushions dominating the centre of the room. They sit at the cushions and Amako leaves to make tea for them all.

"So this is the infamous Keith? We've heard a lot about you," Shiro's father rumbles from across the table.

Keith knows he should respond, but he honestly doesn't know what to say. He's not good at social niceties. But he desperately wants to impress Shiro's family. He reaches up to scratch at his neck, fingers dipping underneath the turned-up collar.

He's saved from his own social awkwardness by a loud gasp behind him. He twists around to see Shiro's mother has re-entered the room, a delicate china tray balanced in her hands. She's staring at Keith. More specifically, his neck. Which, he realises with a dread so sudden it's like his entire body has been dunked into arctic waters, has been revealed when he pushed the collar aside to scratch at it. Amako storms forward, nearly slamming the tray down on the table - Keith winces at the harsh sound in the suddenly still room - and reaches hands out for him. He's shocked into stillness and the Omega woman's hands are surprisingly strong as they manhandle Keith so that his head is forced down to his chest and his jacket collar is pulled back, exposing his neck. Scared to hurt Shiro's mother and petrified of the reactions of the older mated pair, Keith stays still and waits with bated breath and tense body.

Silence reigns in the room for several moments; Keith can feel Amako shaking. Amako is the first to speak.

"What is this? Takashi, tell me this is not what I think it is," Keith hears her beg, and her voice is shaking too.

Keith can't see Shiro with the way his head is forced down, but his mate is still holding his hand under the table, grip strong. He squeeze once, and Keith returns the gesture, hoping to reassure Shiro that he's alright. He doesn't like the position he's been forced into; it makes him feel vulnerable, to have his neck so exposed.

"Okaasan, Otousan, Keith is my mate. This isn't how I wanted you to find out; I wanted to introduce you properly. That's my bonding mark on his neck".

Shiro says it so calmly, like he practiced it over and over. Keith waits as tense silence descends on the room again. After another few moments, Shiro's father is the one to break it this time.

"Takashi, this is not how we raised you. To engage in such frivolent behaviour before the sanctity of marriage is shameful".

"There's nothing frivolent about it," Shiro's retorts, voice raising slightly. "Keith and I are bonded for life, a connection I intend to honour for the rest of my life".

"Our family is shamed, Takashi," Amako growls, hands remaining strong where they're pinning Keith down. "You have brought dishonour on our name by your actions with this harlot".

"Don't speak about him like that," Shiro snaps back, rising to his feet.

Keith can't help the breathy whimper that escapes his throat in response to his mate's distress. Shiro responds immediately.

"Get your hands off my mate," the young Alpha growls, straightening those broad shoulders to tower over his mother. "I won't have you threatening him or degrading him".

"And I won't have you threatening **my** mate either". Shiro's father, his own protective Alpha instincts coming into play.

Amako, thankfully realising the potential for the altercation escalating physically, releases her grip on Keith, stepping back and retreating to her mate's side, where she places a gentle hand on his arm. Keith has no qualms cuddling into Shiro's side, slipping underneath an arm and huddling in its' protective embrace, bringing a hand up to carefully cup the back of his own neck, as if he can hide the mark that started all of this. He remains there as the Alphas stand off against each other, sizing the other up.

This isn't how things were supposed to go. He knows he had his doubts about Shiro's family accepting their bond, but he never actually thought they would fight over him. He butts his head into Shiro's side, nuzzling into his Alpha and releasing a crooning purr, hoping to calm Shiro down. It seems to work. Shiro's body relaxes at Keith's actions and he turns away from his father to look over his mate, as if checking for injuries. He gently pries Keith's hand away from the Omega's neck and inspects the bond mark himself. Only once he seems satisfied that Keith is unhurt, does he turn back to his parents.

"Otousan, what you feel for Okaasan, is what I feel for Keith," he speaks calmly, but Keith can feel his underlying frustration in the tightness of his chest when he presses Keith harder against him. "Whether or not we're married yet, we' re bonded and that's for life. Keith is mine, and I'm his. You can't change that. So I hope you can accept it, and him".

It's quite a lovely little speel. Neither of Shiro's parents seemed particularly convinced by it, but then, after several long, tense moments, Shiro's father exhales a deep breath and speaks. He addresses Shiro, and Keith would feel offended at seemingly being pushed aside, but he's just glad he's not being held down and left vulnerable anymore.

"You know that we do not agree with your actions. But you speak the truth. You and Keith are bonded for life, and even if you do not remain together, you will still be bonded".

Shiro opens his mouth to say something, but Shiro's father continues talking.

"This will not be easy. Our thoughts and feelings on Keith have already been affected, but we will try to accept him for you".

Amako doesn't look especially in agreement with that statement, but she remains silent where she is pressed against her Alpha's side. Shiro's father leans forward and opens his arms in invitation; Shiro hesitates for no more than two seconds before he steps forward into the embrace. Keith quickly extracts himself from Shiro and patiently stands to the side as the small family cuddle together and scent each other. When he's received nuzzles from both of his parents, Shiro raises his head to look at Keith and gesture him over. Keith shakes his head, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion.

Amako turns her head to look at Keith and she seems to be considering him. Keith watches her back, trying not to feel intimidated by her piercing gaze. He waits, and she must come to a decision, because she moves forward and before Keith can react, wraps her arms around his shoulders. She's just enough taller than him that her arms fit snugly around him. He freezes, muscles tensing automatically, remembering her none-too-gentle treatment of him earlier. She maintains the hug, even though he can feel that she is stiff too, and obviously forcing herself to do this. He appreciates the gesture all the same, so in a show of solidarity, he forces his body to relax enough that he can step further into the hug. Instinctively, his hands come to grip at the sides of her sweater. Feeling him accept her hug, she lowers her head to nuzzle her cheek against his. Keith recognises this as her attempt to scent him; it's not a real scenting - that would involve rubbing her neck against his, where the primary scents glands are - but it's a common enough gesture for two stranger Omegas meeting. At least she's trying. Keith quickly nuzzles his cheek into hers, and as soon as he's finished, Amako steps back, releasing Keith. Shiro is quick to step in and wrap his arms around Keith from behind, pulling the little Omega back into his chest. Keith lets himself slump into the embrace, leaning his weight on his Alpha. He feels strangely okay with all of this. Admittedly not the best start, but it seems to have all turned out okay. At least he didn't get thrown out.

After that, they sit at the table, catching Shiro's parents up on his life away at the Garrison. It's only a little awkward. After an hour or so, they excuse themselves and Amako shows them to a room made up for them. As soon as the door slides shut, Shiro flops onto the mattress, releasing an exasperated sigh. He spreads his arms out and looks plaintively up at his Omega mate, a clear invitation for Keith to join him. Keith doesn't hesitate to do so, crawling carefully onto the bed and settling into the crook of Shiro's arm, resting his head on the Alpha's solid chest. For a moment, they just lay there and breathe together.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Shiro huffs, voice hushed. "That wasn't how I planned to tell them".

"S'ok," Keith murmurs, suddenly feeling drained. "She didn't really hurt me".

"Still...".

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Your parents are working on accepting us, which is honestly more than I expected, so we're good, okay?".

Shiro is silent in response. Keith wants to ask what he would have done if his parents hadn't accepted them.

"We're bonded. I'll always love you, Keith. It doesn't matter if others try to get in our way. You're mine, and I plan on keeping you".

Since when did Shiro become a mind reader? And such a big sap? But Keith can't deny that the words make his throat constrict with a sudden upheaval of emotion. He turns his head further into Shiro's body, trying to hide the flush he can feel heating up his cheeks.

"I love you too, you big sap," he mumbles into Shiro's side, feeling sleep hovering at the edges of his consciousness. "I'm yours forever, and you're mine".

He dimly hears Shiro chuckle in response, and feels his arms tighten around him, and then he's drifting off into oblivion, somehow wholly happy with today and its's events.


	22. Knot Me Already

"Lance, Lance," Keith growls with each breath that is being punched out of him by the Alpha's movements behind him.

"Lance, just.. aargh, Lance, just do it".

"...Alpha," he whimper-whispers, pleading.

He's a mess, he knows. Constantly switching quick-fire between savage growling and snapping, and pathetic, pitiful simpering. He just wants.. It's not enough. He needs the Alpha's knot.

His heat had come on brutally quick and unannounced. Desperate to soothe the liquid fire running through his veins, he'd sought out one of the Alphas onboard the Castleship. He'd found Lance first, and wasted no time in dragging the Cuban Alpha down the hall and towards the private rooms, ignoring the startled protest that came from the other teen. He just needed a knot to quell the near-unbearable heat burning him up inside.

"Patience, little one," Allura tries to soothe him from where she's sitting to the side of the bed, one leg crossed gracefully over the other as she watches the Alpha-Omega pair.

She'd followed the scent of Keith's heat to the room and had invited herself in. Keith didn't mind. The members of Voltron had naturally formed a pack and they all shared their bodies. Allura joining them just meant more knots for Keith. Which is what he really needed RIGHT NOW. His heat was quickly taking over his body and mind, heating him up to what felt like dangerous temperatures. He just needed his Alphas to knot him, and then the heat would quell for a little while. They could fuck him all they wanted in between then and the next heat rush, but first, he needed that knot.

"Noo...no, don't make me wait, please, it hurts, itai, it..".

He's losing himself, heat and itch and ache taking over. He butts his head into the mattress and nuzzles his face into the sheets, trying to comfort himself. He can feels Lance's knot forming, the bulbous gland nudging at his entrance with every thrust. Why won't Lance just put it in him? Why is he torturing him like this? Can't he hear his pleas?

Lance pistons in and out of him, his cock spearing him open and his balls slapping obscenely against Keith's cunt. He's setting a brutal pace, fast and hard and deep, pushing Keith further up the bed with every thrust in. His hands grip around Keith's slim waist, long fingers nearly wrapping fully around Keith.

"Hold on, kitten, I've got you," Lance huffs, tightening his grip on Keith's waist and using his knees to spread Keith's legs obscenely wider.

The new position causes his dick to go deeper - but still not enough for his knot to be in Keith, the Omega notes - and Keith yelps at the sudden pressure on his g-spot. Lance maintains that angle, changing his thrusts to short, sharp ones, his cock only pulling out of Keith halfway. The near constant pressure on Keith's g-spot is brutally devastating. His body is at Lance's mercy, bounced continuously on the tip of Lance's cock. He can feel his orgasm threatening, building up.

"No...no, I want... fucking knot me already!".

'I know, kitten, I know... Damn, you feel so good, so tight and warm...and wet".

He's pushed over the edge, his whole body tensing and his vagina squeezing Lance's cock so hard the Alpha has to stop thrusting. He pushes his cock in as far as he can, but not the knot, because in the back of his blissed out mind, Keith can still register it pressed snugly against his entrance. The tip of Lance's cock is pressed firmly into Keith's g-spot, causing him to seize and shudder at the unrelenting pleasure. He screams at the overwhelming sensation, and as soon as he's finished his orgasm, he tries to scramble away from Lance's dick, to get it off his g-spot because it's too much. But his body's still burning with that need and he needs a knot and he doesn't know what he wants or needs and whether he wants or needs a dick or not.

Lance doesn't give him a second's respite. He changes his grip on Keith to wrap both arms around the Omega's waist, dragging the smaller teen flush against him. And then he starts thrusting again. Keith is a wreck by now, overstimulated and sore and crying tears of both frustration and relief, but he still wants more, still wants, needs that knot. Lance is thrusting hard now, slow, deep thrusts that he pulls out fully for. Keith is jolted nearly a full foot forward with each thrust and he's probably going to get some sort of sheet burn on his face and chest as he's dragged back and forth over the mattress.

"Give him what he needs, Lance," Allura's commanding voice interrupts the pain-pleasure-heat-too much. "He's done so well, he deserves his reward".

The next thing he knows, Lance is drawing back until Keith can't feel even the tip of his dick tickling him. He feels empty and vulnerable. He starts to whine, but chokes on the sound when Lance suddenly thrusts back into him. This time, he keeps pushing in until Keith feels the bulb at the base of the Alpha's cock straining against his entrance. Lance keeps pushing, pulling Keith back against him so the Omega can't move away. Keith doesn't know whether he wants to pull away or not. He's needed this knot for so long, but he's so sore and used, but it feels so good as Lance forces it inside him. The knot eventually squeezes its' way inside Keith's vagina; he feels absolutely plugged. It's everything he's needed since this damn heat began. His Omega instincts are singing, recognising that he's about to be bred, and he keens to match the song.

The knot securely in, Lance wastes no time resuming thrusting. Despite not being able to pull out of Keith, his thrusts still manage to be strong. His balls slap repeatedly against Keith's cunt, and being joined together means every powerful thrust from Lance's hips causes Keith to be rocked forward until he's collected up against the headboard and having to grip it desperately to prevent knocking his head into it.

"Argh...so tight...as if this was...the first time...anyone's ever fucked your sweet, little Omega cunt...gonna fill you up... ...gonna breed you so good".

Lance is growling at him in between his thrusts, leaning more and more of his weight onto Keith and pinning him underneath him. Allura leans over, and he'd almost forgotten she was there until she speaks to him.

"Look at you, little one, taking his knot so well. You were made for this. Made to be bred". Her voice is honey-sweet, but it's also strong and unwavering. "You're the perfect breeding bitch. Made for us to use whenever we so desire".

Their words are igniting a new fire inside him, speaking to some deeply-buried, submissive Omega instinct that at any other time he would mercilessly quash, but right now, the way they're speaking to him is hitting all the right buttons. He mewls as Lance's thrusts become uncoordinated, jolting him roughly. Lance is close and Keith can feel his own orgasm building up, even though he came not even fifteen minutes ago.

When he comes, his world whites out. His vision goes, and he can only lay there, tense and shuddering, as everything in him fizzes. He can feel Lance still thrusting, rapidly and roughly, chasing his own orgasm. It takes a few moments, but his sight returns to him, though it's bleary and he can hardly keep his eyes open, as exhausted as he suddenly feels with the end of his climax. He slumps against the mattress, body completely limp, and lets Lance use him.

It only takes another minute maybe for Lance to finish. Keith is dragged close and held in place by the Alpha's large hands clamped around his waist, and he can feel the knot pressed snugly inside him, plugging him up perfectly. The tip of Lance's throbbing cock is pressing relentlessly into his g-spot, causing his body to seize, but he can't find the energy to try to move away. Not that he could anyway, tied to Lance by the Alpha's knot like he is. Spurts of hot semen coat his insides, not stopping for what seems like minutes. Then, it's over, and Lance is slumped on top of him, his weight pressing Keith fully into the bed. The Alpha's knot is still snugly trapped inside Keith, and finally, his inner Omega is satisfied. For now, at least.

He's drifting off to sleep, dazed and full and satisfied, when he feels a hand brush through his tangled hair. It must be Allura; Lance's hands are stilled wrapped firmly around Keith's waist. He feels the hands tug gently at the knots and scritch behind his ears, and he hears Allura croon to him. He releases a content purr, to let her know he's heard her and he's okay, just tired, and then lets sleep overcome him.


	23. How To Keep An Alpha Off You

"Stop fidgeting," Shiro grumbles at the Omega walking beside him on the sidewalk.

"It itches," Keith grumbles back, not stopping his fidgeting with the new accessory around his neck.

"You're just not used to it yet".

"I don't know if I want to get used to it," Keith grouses, almost under his breath, but at least he takes his hand away from the collar.

He shoves his hand into his jacket pocket and if that doesn't make the perfect picture of teenage sullenness, what with the grumpy pout on his face and the nonchalantly slouched shoulders, Shiro doesn't know what does.

They walk in silence for a few more blocks and Shiro is almost impressed at Keith's restraint. But then the Omega ruins it by suddenly and ferociously growling and yanking at the collar around his neck.

"Argh, why is this stupid thing so... so, so restraining!?" he growls, pulling one side of the collar away from the skin of his neck.

Part of Shiro wants to laugh, because it's rare to see Keith so worked up about something so trivial, but another part of him feels sorry for the Omega teen. It's not his fault he's being forced to wear the collar. It's because other Alphas can't keep their hands to themselves. As an unbonded, unmated Omega, Keith is constantly being harassed by Alphas. Keith does a fair job of fighting them off, but sometimes, Shiro has had to step in when one got too aggressive. It's happened way too many times, and this was the best solution that either of them could come up with that didn't involve Shiro marking Keith. It was actually Matt's idea, but Shiro isn't wholly convinced that Matt didn't want Keith to wear the collar because the Beta thinks Keith is hot and the collar would just complete his fantasy mental image of subservient Omega Keith.

Admittedly though, that collar does accentuate Keith's features to an ethereal degree. The Omega was always beautiful, but the collar just seems to highlight his delicate angles. Keith is all moon-pale skin and ocean-dark hair, and his delicately slanted eyes are the purple of dusk, glistening with so many emotions, there for all to see. Shiro can see why so many Alphas find themselves attracted to Keith. The collar only accentuates his slender neck, dainty chin and high cheekbones. If Shiro hadn't grown up with Keith as his adopted brother, he would definitely be interested in the Omega.

But that's why they're here. Walking down the street, side by side, with Keith yanking viciously at his newest purchase around his neck.

"You're going to ruin the disguise if you keep yanking at it," Shiro patiently reminds him, not breaking his gaze from the pathway in front of them. "You're supposed to be happily paired".

"I know," Keith sighs exasperatedly, hands once again returning to his pockets. "It's just uncomfortable and I hate that I have to do this just so I can walk down the street in peace".

Shiro glances over at his brother, noticing the way his brows are furrowed and the corner of his lip down turned. He knows Keith is frustrated. He doesn't blame him. Shiro was born an Alpha. He's always had the privilege of being able to walk where and when he wants, say anything he wants, do whatever he wants. He's never been judged or questioned or objectified or threatened. Keith hasn't had an easy life, being an Omega. No Omega has an easy, carefree life. But that's why this ruse is so necessary.

"I wish you didn't have to too. ..but, look, I think it's working," he finishes, trying to lighten Keith's mood as he notices a strange Alpha walking towards them.

"Do you really think this thing will keep other Alphas off me?" Keith plaintively whines, but to his credit, he doesn't fiddle with the collar anymore.

"I think, it's worth a try".

The Alpha is nearly up to them now. Close enough that he can pick up Keith's scent. Shiro can see the moment he does; the strange Alpha's nostrils flare and his eyes dilate even as they zero in on Keith. Shiro knows the Alpha will be able to smell Shiro's own scent overtop Keith's, but there's still the irresistible lure of fertile Omega. It doesn't matter that said Omega is trying to glare a hole through the Alpha's face.

As soon as the Alpha sees Keith in all his natural beauty, he's caught - hook, line and sinker. His eyes rake possessively over the Omega's body - an action that makes Shiro want wrap an arm protectively around Keith's narrow shoulders - but they freeze when they land on the collar. That's when the scene changes from a familiar one to a new one.

The Alpha's eyes glance over from the collar to Shiro, noting the proximity of the Alpha-Omega pair, then they fixate back on the collar. Shiro watches as the Alpha seems to hesitate. And then, amazingly, he looks away, across the street opposite them. He doesn't look back at Keith, even as they pass each other. The Alpha definitely doesn't look too happy, and Shiro swears he can hear him grumbling under his breath as they pass each other, but it doesn't matter, because Keith and Shiro are continuing their way down the street, the former happily unmolested.

It isn't until they round a corner and are out of sight of the strange Alpha that Keith turns on Shiro with a cheeky grin on his face.

"It worked! Shiro, it worked," he giggles - **giggles** \- as he grabs at Shiro's arm, almost bouncing with his elation.

It's impossible for Shiro to not share his brother's enthusiasm. It's such a tiny thing for Keith to take joy in, the ability to walk in public without being bothered by Alphas. It shouldn't be something he should be happy about, Shiro thinks; it should be something that is taken for granted by all. But the world they live in and the world they'd like to live in are two different things. So for now, he'll be happy that his little brother is happy.


	24. Chapter 24

They're laying in bed together, Keith loosely curled up on his side and Lance spooning him from behind. The Alpha is finally sated after exactly three orgasms in the space of the last hour. Keith is exhausted from the non-stop sex, but he's content and ready to doze off into oblivion, comforted by the familiar warmth and scent around him. Lance, however, has different plans.

"Hey, babe, do you ever think about kids? Like, having kids one day?" he mumbles into the nape of Keith's neck where he's nuzzling into it.

Lance's hot breath on the back of his neck makes him shiver, and distracts him from falling of the edge and into the abyss of sleep. He wants to pay attention to the question, but his mind is struggling to latch onto anything.

"Mmmmhm," is all that he manages to get out, but he think it sounds questioning enough that Lance might understand.

"Kids. Do you think you'll ever want to have kids?"

Keith is fairly awake now, realising he is going to be denied the escape of sleep until he answers Lance's question, so he gingerly rolls himself over so that he's facing his mate.

"We're too young to have kids, Lance," he points out, carefully watching the Alpha's face for any hints of what he's feeling.

"I know," Lance is quick to reassure. "I just meant, one day, when we're ready. Was it something you want?"

Keith doesn't answer straight away. He's never really thought about. He doesn't think he's against having kids, but he certainly has some reservations about it. Thankfully, Lance doesn't rush him to answer, seeming to sense that Keith needs some time to sort through his answer in his head.

"I'm not.. against having kids," he explains, speaking slowly. "I never really thought about it..."

"...but?..." Lance pushes, sensing the unspoken words.

Keith carefully nudges his head underneath Lance's chin, nuzzling the glands on the side of the Alpha's neck. Stimulating the glands releases Lance's unique scent, something like salty ocean breeze and night sky and vanilla ice cream. It calms Keith with its' familiarity, and he tries to nuzzle in further to find more of the scent.

"Babe?" Lance chuckles, raising a hand to scritch at the back of Keith's head, something that he knows makes the Omega melt into his touch.

"I guess, just, part of me dreads the idea that any child I bare may be an Omega and have to grow up in this world while being seen as nothing more than a couple of holes to fuck".

It's certainly his biggest reservation. How cruel would he be to bring a child into this world only to have them be treated as nothing more than a breeding bitch?

"I don't see Omegas like that. I've never treated you like that, have I?"

The uncertainty in Lance's voice makes Keith's chest tighten. He knows Lance has never, would never, treat him like that. But Keith's been hurt before, and it's not Lance that would be the problem if they ever had kids.

"You're not the whole world. There are plenty of Alphas out there who think we're only good for breeding," he whispers into Lance's neck.

He doesn't really want to talk about it anymore and wishes he could just go to sleep and forget this conversation ever happened. He closes his eyes, but flashes of fists and angry eyes assault the back of his eyelids. He can suddenly feel hands on him, hard hands grabbing his arms, fingers wrapping around his whole arm, holding him down, taking, taking too much.

"Keith, don't go back there," Lance growls at him, forcing Keith back to the present. Lance's face is dark, because he knows what Keith is remembering. He was the one that found Keith.

"It's done, it's all over with. I will never treat you like that or allow anyone to ever hurt you like that again.

"And if we have kids one day, I will never let anyone ever hurt them as well".

"But they'll still have to deal with the prejudice. Even if you can protect them physically, you can't mentally. They'll still just be Omegas in a world designed for Alphas".

Keith doesn't know why he's pointing that out. Why can't he just leave it and then they can go to sleep. But now he feels like his sleep tonight will be restless and what little he manages to get, disturbed by dreams.

"Babe, I wish I hadn't brought it up. You're tired and probably sore, and now I've made you upset," Lance whines, tightening his arms around his mate and pulling him impossibly closer, until there's no space between them and Keith is practically laying on top of Lance, head still nestled in the crook of the Cuban teen's neck.

"It's not you," Keith whispers into his mate's sweat-laced skin. "It's never you".

He closes his eyes, knowing he can only escape the conversation for the time being, but that he can't sleep his problems away. Lance huffs a breath out, the action causing his chest to expand and raising Keith with it. Keith releases his own little mirror huff of breath and settles his weight more comfortably on top of Lance, sprawling his entire body on top of the Alpha, limbs sprawled.

Keith knows he will probably dream of his past tonight, but as he drifts off, he hopes he will maybe dream of the future, of a future where he and Lance are happy together with a child that is safe and loved and valued.


End file.
